Latest news with #ArafatJamal
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Business Standard
13-07-2025
- Politics
- Business Standard
UNHCR concerned over widespread return of Afghan refugees from Iran, Pak
The UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has voiced concern over the widespread and disorganised return of Afghan refugees from Iran and Pakistan, terming the situation in Afghanistan critical, TOLO News reported. UNHCR head in Afghanistan, Arafat Jamal, said that the country is not well prepared to receive this influx of returnees. He demanded restraint, financial support, international dialogue, and cooperation to handle the chaotic situation better and achieve a more stable outcome. Arafat Jamal said: "However, today what we are seeing is the undignified, disorganised, and massive exodus of Afghans from both countries, which is generating enormous pressures on the homeland that is willing to receive them and yet utterly unprepared to do so. We are calling for restraint." Jamal said so far, more than 1.6 million Afghans, including 1.3 million from Iran, have come back to the country this year, a figure more than the UN's forecasts. He termed the intensity of this trend alarming, noting that on some days, over 50,000 people have been reported crossing through the Islam Qala border. He further stated, "Of concern to us is the scale, the intensity, and the manner in which returns are occurring. In terms of the scale, over 1.6 million Afghans have returned from both Pakistan and Iran this year alone, including 1.3 million from Iran," TOLO News reported. Some Afghan refugees living in Iran have expressed concerns regarding forced deportations. They have said that they are not able to go to work and are being taken into custody from markets and workplaces. Enayat Alokozai, an Afghan refugee in Iran, said: "We are facing a humanitarian disaster in the refugee sector. Afghan refugees in Iran are facing serious challenges and are being arrested from marketplaces and workplaces." The UN's warning comes as the number of Afghan refugees deported from neighbouring nations, particularly Iran, has increased, TOLO News reported. Meanwhile, the World Health Organisation (WHO) has issued a warning regarding the rising spread of infectious diseases among Afghan migrants deported from neighbouring nations amid poor sanitary conditions, Khaama Press reported. The WHO emphasised the need to enhance medical resources and staff capacity to address the increasing health risks. It has reported a rise in respiratory infections, skin conditions like scabies, diarrhoea and suspected COVID-19 cases among those deported from neighbouring nations. The ground assessments carried out at key border points, especially Islam Qala in Herat Province, reveal that upper respiratory infections are the most common diseases spread, followed by diarrhoea and dehydration, particularly among children and the elderly. The WHO has also flagged cases of scabies and COVID-19 among deported Afghan migrants. In response to the spread of diseases, the WHO has launched emergency health screenings and mass vaccination campaigns in collaboration with local health authorities at Islam Qala and Spin Boldak border crossings. These initiatives have been launched to stop further outbreaks and provide critical care to vulnerable people.
LBCI
12-07-2025
- Politics
- LBCI
Three million Afghans likely to return this year after Pakistan, Iran introduce new policies
Three million Afghans could return to their country this year, a U.N. refugee official said Friday, warning that the repatriation flow is placing intense pressure on an already major humanitarian crisis. Iran and Pakistan have introduced new policies affecting displaced Afghans, with Tehran already having given four million 'illegal' Afghans until July 6 to leave Iranian territory. 'What we are seeing is the undignified, disorganized and massive exodus of Afghans from both countries, which is generating enormous pressures on the homeland that is willing to receive them and yet utterly unprepared to do so,' the UNHCR representative in Afghanistan, Arafat Jamal, said during a video press conference from Kabul. AFP
Arab News
12-07-2025
- Politics
- Arab News
Three million Afghans likely to return this year after Pakistan, Iran introduce new policies
UNITED NATIONS: Three million Afghans could return to their country this year, a UN refugee official said Friday, warning that the repatriation flow is placing intense pressure on an already major humanitarian crisis. Iran and Pakistan have introduced new policies affecting displaced Afghans, with Tehran already having given four million 'illegal' Afghans until July 6 to leave Iranian territory. 'What we are seeing is the undignified, disorganized and massive exodus of Afghans from both countries, which is generating enormous pressures on the homeland that is willing to receive them and yet utterly unprepared to do so,' the UNHCR representative in Afghanistan, Arafat Jamal, said during a video press conference from Kabul. 'Of concern to us is this scale, the intensity and the manner in which returns are occurring.' Over 1.6 million Afghans have already returned from Pakistan and Iran this year, the large majority from Iran, Jamal added. The figure already exceeds the UNHCR's initial forecasts of 1.4 million for 2025. The office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees now estimates three million coming into Afghanistan this year, Jamal said. The UN agency said over 30,000 people per day have streamed across the Islam Qala border into Afghanistan, with 50,000 crossing on July 4 alone. 'Many of these returnees are arriving having been abruptly uprooted and having undergone an arduous, exhausting and degrading journey. They arrive tired, disoriented, brutalized and often in despair,' Jamal said. The United Nations has taken emergency measures to reinforce water and sanitation systems intended to serve 7,000 to 10,000 people per day, as well as vaccinations and nutrition services. Many who have crossed the border have reported pressure from Iranian authorities, including arrests and expulsions.
Scoop
12-07-2025
- General
- Scoop
Desperate Afghan Refugees Return To An Unfamiliar Home
The agency is calling for calm and cooperation to provide a dignified path forward for millions of displaced Afghans. More than 1.6 million Afghans have returned from both neighbouring countries in 2024 alone, according to UNHCR – a figure that has already surpassed earlier forecasts for the entire year. 'From Afghanistan – not of Afghanistan' The scale and speed of these returns are placing enormous pressure on border provinces ill-equipped to absorb them, exacerbating poverty, insecurity and humanitarian need in a country still reeling from economic collapse and widespread human rights abuses. Complicating the situation further is the fact that many returnees – especially women and children – are coming back to a country they barely know. ' They are from Afghanistan [but] not of Afghanistan – often born abroad with better education and different cultural norms. Their outlook is different from and often at odds with present day Afghanistan,' says Arafat Jamal, UNHCR Representative in the country. Women and girls in particular face a jarring shift: from relative autonomy in host countries to a context where their rights are severely restricted by edicts from Taliban authorities. Disorientated and disorganised He reported conditions that he had seen for himself recently in Islam Qala, a key border crossing with Iran. Daily arrivals have surged to around 50,000 people, many of them disoriented and exhausted after arduous journeys. UN officials described scenes of desperation at reception centres. ' Many of these returnees have been abruptly uprooted and have undergone arduous, exhausting and degrading journeys – they arrive tired, disoriented, brutalised and often in despair, and they sprawl throughout a crowded centre in often 40°C (104°F) heat, ' Mr. Jamal said. While some returns are voluntary, he added that many are occurring under duress or without proper protections in place. Those returning include both officially registered refugees and people in 'refugee-like' situations who may face serious risks upon arrival. Funding crisis The UN and humanitarian partners have mounted a broad-based response along the borders, providing food, water, health services, protection and onward transportation. However, funding shortfalls are critically hampering operations. UNHCR's response is just 28 per cent funded as of July, forcing aid agencies to ration supplies and make painful choices. 'We are living on borrowed funds,' Mr. Jamal said. ' Daily, we are asking ourselves – should we give one blanket instead of four? One meal instead of three? These are heartbreaking, soul-destroying decisions. ' The situation is equally dire for other agencies: the wider, UN-led 2025 Humanitarian Needs and Response Plan for Afghanistan – which seeks $2.4 billion to assist nearly 17 million people across the country – is only 22 per cent funded. Poverty and drought Recent UN assessments have also warned of deteriorating conditions and deepening poverty within Afghanistan. The UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) issued alerts over worsening drought across much of the country, while the UN Development Programme (UNDP) reports that 70 per cent of Afghans already live at subsistence levels, as the collapse of public services and ongoing rights violations leaves millions in despair. As returnees cross the border, often without notice or resources, local populations are being stretched to the limit. Mr. Jamal noted that this 'precarity layered upon poverty' risks fuelling frustration, competition over limited resources and new forms of social tension. ' Afghanistan may be welcoming, but it is wholly unprepared to receive this volume of returnees,' he said. 'The communities who are taking people in are doing so with great generosity, but they are themselves in crisis.' Global attention The growing emergency comes just days after the UN General Assembly overwhelmingly adopted a resolution expressing 'deep concern' over deteriorating conditions facing Afghans. The resolution, passed with 116 votes in favour and only two against, urged the Taliban to reverse repressive policies and called for renewed international cooperation to support Afghan civilians. The resolution highlighted the need for 'coherent approaches' that bridge humanitarian, development and political efforts. It also called on donor countries to maintain or increase support.
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Express Tribune
12-07-2025
- Politics
- Express Tribune
3m Afghans could return this year: UN
Listen to article Three million Afghans could return to their country this year, a UN refugee official said Friday, warning that the repatriation flow is placing intense pressure on an already major humanitarian crisis. Iran and Pakistan have introduced new policies affecting displaced Afghans, with Tehran already having given four million "illegal" Afghans until July 6 to leave Iranian territory. "What we are seeing is the undignified, disorganized and massive exodus of Afghans from both countries, which is generating enormous pressures on the homeland that is willing to receive them and yet utterly unprepared to do so," the UNHCR representative in Afghanistan, Arafat Jamal, said during a video press conference from Kabul. "Of concern to us is this scale, the intensity and the manner in which returns are occurring." Over 1.6 million Afghans have already returned from Pakistan and Iran this year, the large majority from Iran, Jamal added. The figure already exceeds the UNHCR's initial forecasts of 1.4 million for 2025.
