Since the Soviet invasion in 1979, one in four Afghans has been a refugee sometime in their life. According to a 2026 International Catholic Migration Commission report, Afghans are the fourth largest refugee population globally. Approximately 5.2 million Afghans are currently displaced from their homeland, with another 3.3 million internally displaced within Afghanistan. 

Following the withdrawal of U.S. forces from Afghanistan in 2021, the United States welcomed Afghan evacuees through several humanitarian pathways. Under Operation Allies Refuge and Operation Allies Welcome, many Afghans were evacuated and provided temporary protection in the U.S. through humanitarian parole, around thirty percent of whom were children under 18. In the past ten years, over 320,000 Afghans have arrived in the U.S. through the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program as refugees, Special Immigrant Visa (SIV) holders, or humanitarian parolees.  

 Additional resources for providers supporting Afghan children and youth are below.