Keeping joy alive, however difficult the journey

Tajudeen Oyewale, UNICEF Representative in Afghanistan

Last week I was walking through the camp in Torkham, which serves as a temporary home for people arriving through Afghanistan’s eastern border. A group of boys were playing football. Intent on their game, their happy shouts filled the air. I’ve been a football fan myself since I was a boy, so when the ball rolled towards me, I kicked it back, and joined in the game.

Almost a million Afghans have crossed the border since Pakistan began the repatriation of Afghans in September 2023. Over 60 percent of them are children – including my new footballing friends. 

UNICEF has stood with returning Afghan families since the start. As part of a comprehensive inter-agency response at the eastern border crossing points of Torkham in the east and Spin Boldak in the south, we, our partners and sister agencies provide food, clean water, shelter, healthcare, nutrition and protection services for the thousands who have returned.

The returning families leave most of their belongings behind. Some travel in rickshaws or trucks, but many more are dragging handcarts, or carrying what they can on their backs. Their needs are immediate – people need ready cash, healthcare and nutrition services. They need clean water and sanitation, and shelter from the harsh Afghan climate. Moreover, journeys like these put people at risk – especially women and children.

Children can get lost or separated from their families during difficult journeys; a terrifying experience for a child to endure. One of the most important things we as UNICEF do on borders – in Afghanistan and across the world – is to find all these children’s families, and make sure they have a safe place to live while doing so. So far in 2025 we have been able to help over 1,000 children who crossed Afghanistan’s borders afraid and alone, and reunite them with their loved ones.

Returning families also leave their lives behind. Uprooted from homes of decades or more, the majority will need continued support for some time to settle into new lives, rebuild livelihoods, and create social support networks anew. Returning children must go back to school as soon as possible, so they don’t miss out on the future opportunities that education brings.

The UN estimates that another 1.5 million people could return by the end of the year through Torkham and Spin Boldak. As the number of returnees continues to climb, the scale of the response must grow commensurately, if we are to ensure that no child is left behind.

The sheer joy of that group of boys playing football on a pitch marked out with rocks is an expression of the resilience of their spirits. We must do everything we can to keep that joy alive, and let it flourish.

The work we are doing on Afghanistan’s borders is not something we can do alone - it is made possible by coordination with partners and sister agencies, and the continued generosity of our donors. Every dollar invested in humanitarian aid in Afghanistan and elsewhere is an investment in the global community; an investment in a more stable and secure world for everyone. Every child, everywhere, deserves a future marked by joy.