The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) said that Afghanistan has the highest number of displaced people in the world.
In a report, the largest proportion of refugees globally are from Afghanistan and Syria, both with 6.4 million each [total of 12.8 million], and together equivalent to one-third of all refugees under UNHCR’s mandate.
The report said: “Globally, nearly 10.9 million Afghans remained displaced, almost all within their country or in neighbouring countries. In 2023, the number of Afghan refugees reported globally increased by 741,400 to reach 6.4 million, mostly reflecting new population estimates reported by both the Islamic Republic of Iran and Pakistan.”
“Many Afghans are forced to leave the country due to ongoing wars, poverty and unemployment, limited access to education, healthcare, and political instability,” said Ali Reza Karimi, a migrant rights activist.
Recent decades of war, poverty, lack of employment, and severe food insecurity are among the issues that have led to an increase in citizens fleeing to other countries.
“Insecurity, poverty, and unemployment are the main reasons for the migration of Afghans abroad,” said Akbar, an Afghan migrant in Iran.
According to the report, Syria also has 6.4 million refugees worldwide, equal to Afghanistan.
A number of internally displaced people in the capital told TOLOnews that the Islamic Emirate has given them a deadline of Hoot 1402 (March 19), to return to their original provinces.
These displaced people emphasized that they are facing economic problems and do not have the financial ability to return to their original provinces.
Hodkhil, who came to Kabul from Laghman due to the civil wars of the last few decades, told TOLOnews: “We don’t have firewood, food, or oil at home. There is nothing, life is very difficult. Now the government wants us to move. I don’t have any land in my original province either.”
Shukria, another displaced person, told TOLOnews: “No one helped us. It’s winter and we have lots of problems including paying for water and bread. With all these challenges they still asked us to move.”
Zistan, another displaced person, said: “If we go to Iran or Pakistan, they will deport us. This is our own land, instead of this, it’s good for them to burn us, where should we go?”
The deputy minister of Refugees and Repatriation (MoRR), Abdul Rahman Rashid, said that Kabul Municipality covers the living areas of internally displaced people for the purpose of reconstruction of the city, therefore, these displaced people have been asked to move to their original provinces.
Abdul Rahman Rashid, said: “The Ministry of Urban Development and Land has started the work and reconstruction. These people have returned voluntarily, we have settlements for them in the provinces.”
Earlier, the Ministry of Refugees and Repatriations gave statistics that there are three million internally displaced people in the country, one million of which have been transferred to their regions.—Tolonews
