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.

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.

Matukeng Health Centre transforms through World Vision’s support; improved care, warm facilities, and empowered health committees lead the change.

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.

With support from World Vision International Nepal, Langurkhola Basic Health Service Centre was declared the first Nutrition-Friendly Health Facility (NFHF) of Sindhuli.

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.

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.

This policy brief, Investing in the Future, presents a compelling case for expanding and increasing funding to Zambia’s School Feeding Programme as a strategic response to child hunger, malnutrition, and poor educational outcomes. Drawing on recent national and global data, the brief outlines the profound impacts of undernutrition on children's health, learning, and future prospects, particularly in rural areas. It highlights how, despite increased government allocations from K39.4 million in 2023 to a proposed K534.4 million in 2025, over 60% of eligible children still remain uncovered by the programme.