Church World Service’s
(CWS) Pakistan/Afghanistan office reports that Afghanis that have
been deported by the Iranian government as illegal refugees are scattered
across Afghanistan’s three western provinces of Herat, Farah and Nimroz.
CWS, a member of ACT International, says that UN reports put the number
of returnee refugee families that have been registered by the Afghanistan
government at 564 in Farah Province, while a further 500 families
that have not been registered are believed to be spread over the various
districts. Some 4,500 returnee families have been reported as arriving
in Nimroz Province.
The UN Office
for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs’ IRIN service reports
that the Afghan Foreign Ministry had said that some 30,000 Afghan
refugees, including women and children, had been sent home from Iran
the last week of April alone.
It is unclear
how many Afghans work and live in Iran without formal documentation
but, according to the report, Iran has indicated that there may be
as many as one million people who will be sent home to Afghanistan.
CWS-Pakistan/Afghanistan
says that from April 24 to May 5 (2007), the process of deporting
Afghan refugees has been going on through the Dogharoon border of
Herat Province and Abrishem Bridge of Nimroz Province. Reports have
also been received of people being forcibly repatriated and that deportees
have said that they have been ill-treated by Iranian security officials.
Returnees are
facing huge problems surviving day to day, with a need for food, shelter
and other basic items, especially amongst the families that are scattered
across Farah and Nimroz provinces—both areas where insecurity levels
are high, and few aid agencies operate. Herat has fewer returnees
and is receiving relatively more assistance, as there are more international
and national NGOs and UN agencies operating in the area. At the same
time, there is currently a lack of coordination and planning between
government agencies and international organizations working in the
areas. Only the UNHCR in Farah has so far provided assistance to these
refugees to date.
CWS-P/A is monitoring
the situation in cooperation with other members of the ACT forum in
Afghanistan and has sent a request for Rapid Response Funding for
basic food and shelter relief items to be distributed through their
local partner Afghan Development Association in the Farah and Nimroz
Provinces.
Any funding indication
or pledge should be communicated to Jessie Kgoroeadira, ACT Finance
