The United Nations refugee agency has suspended cash assistance for Afghan returnees, blaming Taliban restrictions that bar its female staff from working at border points.
In a statement on Wednesday, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) said the ban had made it impossible to deliver safe and equal financial support to men and women returning from Iran and Pakistan. As a result, cash distributions have been temporarily halted until a solution is found.
UNHCR urged Afghans not to apply for cash aid during the suspension, warning that it remained unclear how long the disruption would last. Other services for returnees at border crossings will continue, the agency added, while talks with Taliban authorities are under way.
The suspension comes at a critical moment, as thousands of Afghans are deported daily from Iran and Pakistan. Many arrive with nothing and cannot even afford transport to their home provinces. For countless families, UN cash assistance has been a vital lifeline.
Aid groups have long warned that mass deportations will intensify Afghanistan’s economic collapse under Taliban rule. The latest disruption highlights how the Taliban’s policies—particularly restrictions on women—are worsening the humanitarian crisis and depriving vulnerable families of essential support.
