7 April 2026: Médecins Sans Frontières/Doctors
Without Borders (MSF) expresses deep concern for
approximately 900,000 Afghan Citizen Card holders facing
deportation from Pakistan. Vulnerable groups, including
women, children, and those with disabilities, are
disproportionately impacted by such deportations. Women and
girls face especially heightened risks due to restrictive
policies which limit their access to education, employment,
and public life in Afghanistan.
Since October 2023,
over 800,000 people of Afghan origin have been deported from
Pakistan. MSF medical teams report significant distress and
uncertainty among Afghan communities in Pakistan about
returning to Afghanistan. Many fear for their safety and
future livelihoods, while also facing limited access to
essential needs, such as healthcare. These pressures worsen
the vulnerabilities of an already struggling population.
“We are Afghan refugees,” the caretaker of one patient
told MSF. “We have no money…our community is really in
need. If we go back, there is nothing for us, no water,
nothing, we are neglected.”
The public
healthcare system in Afghanistan is already under
considerable pressure and unable to meet the overwhelming
health needs of the population. MSF works closely with the
Afghan Ministry of Public Health to provide healthcare
services to hundreds of thousands of Afghans every year. But
the recent closure or suspension of activities in 202 health
facilities in Afghanistan following recent US-Aid cuts, will
make access to healthcare even more challenging, and the
large-scale return of Afghans could further strain
Afghanistan’s dire humanitarian situation. MSF urges
immediate consideration of the humanitarian impact of these
deportation policies on vulnerable Afghan nationals. We also
call on the international community to enhance support for
the protection and humanitarian needs of affected Afghans,
both in the region and within
Afghanistan.
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As a neutral, independent,
and impartial medical humanitarian organisation, MSF
provides assistance based solely on need. MSF remains
committed to delivering impartial medical assistance to
vulnerable communities in Pakistan, Afghanistan, and
neighbouring countries, guided by our humanitarian
principles and medical ethics.
Note:
MSF
first started working in Pakistan in 1986, and today
provides much-needed medical care to people in Balochistan,
Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Sindh provinces. Access to
healthcare remains a challenge in Pakistan, especially for
people in rural communities, informal settlements and areas
affected by conflict. MSF has projects providing
reproductive, neonatal and paediatric care, diagnosis and
treatment of cutaneous leischmaniasis, diagnosis and
treatment of hepatitis C, and diagnosis and treatment of
tuberculosis in the
country.
