The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) office in South Asia has stated that it needs USD 620 million to protect and support Afghan migrants in Iran and Pakistan, as reported by Khaama Press. On social media platform X, the organization noted that the situation in Afghanistan and its neighboring countries will pose challenges in 2024.
As per the UNHCR report, assistance will be provided to 4.8 million Afghan migrants and 2.5 million members of their host communities in 2024. Referring to UNHCR, Khaama Press reported that, alongside the deportation of Afghan migrants from Iran and Pakistan to Afghanistan, the country’s circumstances worsened in 2022 and 2023 due to devastating earthquakes, catastrophic natural disasters, and the climate change crisis.
The UNHCR has described the human rights situation, especially the rights of women and girls, as well as religious and ethnic minorities in Afghanistan, as dire, emphasizing the urgent need for humanitarian assistance for 23.7 million people to survive. According to the report, Iran and Pakistan are hosting approximately 7.7 million Afghan citizens, of which around 1.6 million have been deported to Afghanistan since 2021.
In the meantime, Amnesty International and several human rights organizations have voiced concerns about the ongoing expulsion of Afghan migrants from Pakistan and have called for a halt to this practice.
“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.
Nevertheless, they encounter numerous obstacles amidst a severe humanitarian crisis. Many returning individuals are grappling with the absence of fundamental necessities like housing, nourishment, and medical assistance, worsening their already fragile circumstances.
