Seventeen Afghan migrants, including children, die of thirst in Iran's Sistan-Baluchestan

Human rights organization Hal Va Sh reported that a minimum of 17 Afghan migrants lost their lives from dehydration in the Meksookhte area near the Rotok border crossing in Sistan-Baluchestan, Iran. The fatalities involved women, men and children, and the victims' remains were transferred to a cold storage site in Khash due to insufficient capacity at the local facility in Saravan. Among those who died were five relatives from Badakhshan - a mother and her four daughters aged between 14 and 22.

The tragedy occurred amid discussions of a forthcoming trilateral meeting on migration involving Afghanistan, Iran and the United Nations in Kabul. Legal expert Khalil Ahmad Nadem commented on the broader responsibility for preventing such deaths, urging both Afghan and Iranian authorities to address the humanitarian aspects.