NGO warns of “heartbreaking” child protection challenges, shelter shortages, and service gaps amid chaotic surge in returns

Johan Eldebo, Senior Adviser for Strategic Partnerships and Fragile Contexts at World Vision Nordics, shares personal reflections from a recent field visit to Afghanistan, highlighting why sustained engagement matters, especially for the country’s most vulnerable children.

"They sit on pieces of cardboard, hot, thirsty, with nowhere to be." Thousands of Afghans are being pushed back from Iran every day. At Islam Qala, Thamindri De Silva, World Vision's National Director, stands at the heart of the crisis - children waiting in the dust, hungry, dehydrated, some alone, all unsure where to go or what comes next. In Ghor, Mark shows us what they're returning to: drought, hunger, and empty clinics that were meant to serve thousands - now abandoned after funding cuts. With millions of Afghans working in Iran to support their families, the scale of what’s coming is far greater than what we see today. Watch and witness the reality unfolding on the ground.

World Vision Afghanistan provided vital support to over 369,000 people in February and March 2025, delivering health, nutrition, WASH, education, psychosocial support, livelihoods & food security, and cash assistance.

At the Nutrition for Growth summit in Paris, World Vision Afghanistan Advocacy Director, Mark Calder, spoke with Nadia Hashimi, a representative of the Afghan Civil Society Alliance for Food Security & Nutrition. Nadia was a featured speaker at the hashtag#N4G World Vision-facilitated event on "The Right to Food in Afghanistan." A powerful advocate for Afghan children, Nadia is on a mission to end malnutrition and ensure every child has access to proper nutrition. Her journey is deeply personal - she once was one of the at-risk children whose voices went unheard. Today, she speaks for them. Let’s amplify her message. Every child in Afghanistan deserves the right to food.

To empower communities over their challenges in health sector, World Vision train and equip Community Health Workers (CHWs) who serve their communities with basic health and nutrition services.

FY 24 Impact: World Vision Afghanistan worked across 34 districts and more than 3,200 villages across Herat, Badghis, Ghor, Faryab, and Nangahar provinces, delivering critical assistance to over 1.2 million people, nearly half of them children. Read the full report.

World Vision Afghanistan works in 34 districts and over 3,200 villages across Herat, Badghis, Ghor, Faryab, and Nangahar provinces, reaching more than 1.2 million people in FY24, including over 547,000 children.

World Vision International (WVI) is committed to combating hunger and improving food security for vulnerable populations, with a strong focus on children, those most affected by food insecurity

In Herat, western Afghanistan, the devastation of the 2023 earthquake is still visible — but so is the resilience of the people. World Vision’s integrated response is helping families recover through ongoing health services, psychosocial support, and safe spaces for children to learn, play, and heal. The approach addresses both physical and emotional well-being, helping restore dignity and stability to affected communities.