A tragic vehicle accident in Afghanistan has claimed the lives of 22 people and left 36 others wounded after a truck transporting Afghan refugees crashed into a ravine on Saturday in the eastern Laghman province.
Abdul Malik Niazi, a Taliban official, spoke with The Media Line about the incident, explaining that “the accident occurred on the main highway linking Kabul with Nangarhar province.”
Officials confirmed that among those who died were 10 children and five women. The 36 people who sustained injuries have been taken to multiple medical facilities for care.
According to the Taliban official, all those involved in the crash were Afghan migrants who had recently come back from Pakistan. The group had been staying temporarily in Kunar province and were traveling to Kabul when their vehicle crashed.
Amanullah Sharif, who leads the provincial health department, verified the casualty numbers and reported that early investigations suggest the crash happened because the driver had fallen asleep.
The victims were part of a larger group of thousands of Afghan refugees who have made their way back to Afghanistan from Pakistan over recent months.
In 2023, Pakistan began a major enforcement operation targeting undocumented migrants, resulting in many Afghan nationals being compelled to leave or facing deportation.
During this same timeframe, Iran also increased its efforts to remove Afghan refugees from its territory.
This tragedy occurs as Afghanistan continues to handle significant numbers of people returning from surrounding nations, especially Pakistan, which has ramped up its deportation activities for undocumented Afghan migrants.
Data from the Taliban commission for refugees shows that during the past week, approximately 4,000 migrants have been sent back from Pakistan each day.
International humanitarian organizations have consistently cautioned that the massive influx of returning migrants is creating additional pressure on transportation systems and government services, particularly in eastern provinces that function as major border crossing areas.
With thousands of returnees entering Afghanistan daily under challenging circumstances and disorganized schedules, local infrastructure and services in already vulnerable areas are facing increasing stress. Transportation pathways are becoming more dangerous, and communities are having difficulty managing the sudden arrival of large numbers of people.
Without improved regional cooperation and better support systems for those returning, the situation threatens to develop into a broader humanitarian crisis characterized by avoidable fatalities, recurring accidents, and serious humanitarian dangers throughout the affected provinces.
