Nearly 375,000 Afghans have left Pakistan since Nov 1: UN

Nearly 375,000 Afghans have left Pakistan since the November 1 deadline that Islamabad set for the voluntary return of all undocumented foreigners to their country of origin, a United Nations spokesperson said Tuesday.

Farhan Aziz Haq, Deputy UN Spokesperson, told reporters at the regular noon briefing that the Afghan nationals crossed into their country primarily through the Torkham and Spin Boldak border points.

He said that the International Organization for Migration (IOM), a Geneva-based UN agency, together with humanitarian partners, was delivering a range of critical aid at the border crossing points between Pakistan and Afghanistan.

Citing IOM, the spokesperson said that the number of border crossings had increased from 200 daily to 17,000 since Pakistan’s “Illegal Foreigners’ Repatriation Plan” went into effect.

“Critical aid including shelter, water, sanitation, essential household items, healthcare, protection and nutrition services, as well as cash to cover basic needs, transportation and food is being provided by the IOM-led border consortium,” Farhan Haq said.

According to the International Organization for Migration, he said the situation for women and girls in Afghanistan was exceptionally difficult, and “needs are only likely to increase as winter approaches”.

“IOM stresses that the international community must increase its support at a time when funding for the Afghan population is rapidly declining.”