UN calls for $620 mn to support Afghan migrants in Iran and Pakistan

The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) office in South Asia has said that it requires USD 620 million to safeguard and assist Afghan migrants in Iran and Pakistan, reported Khaama Press.

In a post on social media platform X, the organisation stated that the situation in Afghanistan and its bordering countries will be challenging in 2024.

According to the UNHCR report, 4.8 million Afghan migrants and 2.5 million members of their host communities will be assisted in 2024.

Citing UNHCR, Khaama Press reported that in addition to the deportation of Afghan migrants from Iran and Pakistan to Afghanistan, the country's circumstances got worse in 2022 and 2023 due to fatal earthquakes, catastrophic natural disasters, and the climate change problem.

The UNHCR has characterised the state of human rights, particularly the rights of women and girls as well as religious and ethnic minorities in Afghanistan, as grave, citing the urgent need for humanitarian aid for 23.7 million people to survive.

According to the report, Iran and Pakistan host around 7.7 million Afghan citizens, approximately 1.6 million of whom were depoted to Afghanistan since 2021.

Meanwhile, Amnesty International and some human rights organizations have expressed concern about the continuation of the process of expelling Afghan migrants from Pakistan and demanded a halt to this trend.

"The plan to repatriate undocumented foreign nationals in Pakistan violates the rights of refugees and international human rights law, especially the principle of non-refoulement, endangering the lives of all Afghan refugees, especially women, girls, journalists, and human rights defenders, Khaama Press, quoted Amnesty International official as saying.

Over half a million migrants have been forcibly deported back to Afghanistan since November 2023.

However, they are facing several challenges amid a dire humanitarian crisis. Many returnees are struggling with the lack of basic amenities such as shelter, food, and healthcare, exacerbating their already precarious situation.