KABUL, April 8 (Xinhua) -- Nearly 3,000 Afghan refugees returned to their homeland in a single day on Tuesday amid economic hardship and tension in the region, reported the official Radio and Television of Afghanistan on Wednesday.
A total of 2,598 returned from Pakistan, while 324 others returned from Iran, the official media outlet added.
The return of Afghan refugees is taking place amid economic problems and escalating tension in the region, as poverty and unemployment are reportedly rampant in post-war Afghanistan.
More than 17 million Afghan people, or over one-third of the country's population, are facing acute food insecurity this year, according to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.
Around 2.8 million Afghan refugees reportedly returned to Afghanistan in 2025, while Middle East conflicts and border skirmishes between Kabul and Islamabad have forced more refugees to return this year.
More than 6 million Afghan refugees are reportedly living in neighboring Pakistan and Iran after decades of displacement. ■
