Afghan returnees in Bamiyan struggle despite new homes

This photograph taken on January 19, 2026 shows Marzia and her son, who returned from Iran, sitting inside their newly constructed house in Jar-e-Khushk on the outskirts of Bamiyan province. A few dozen Afghan families have brand new homes in central Bamiyan, after being pushed out of Iran and Pakistan, but the nascent community finds itself lacking even basic services. - AFP

BAMIYAN, Afghanistan: Sitting in his modest home beneath snow-dusted hills in Afghanistan's Bamiyan province, Nimatullah Rahesh expressed relief to have found somewhere to "live peacefully" after months of uncertainty.

Rahesh is one of millions of Afghans pushed out of Iran and Pakistan, but despite being given a brand new home in his native country, he and many of his recently returned compatriots are lacking even basic services.