INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) announced Thursday that more than 156,000 Afghan refugees have returned to their
country in the first six months of 2024.The organization said in a report that the situation for Afghans in neighboring countries has become
increasingly challenging, with &economic fragility reducing livelihoods opportunities, a spiralling cost of living crisis, and rising
instances of xenophobia.&According to the report, over 1.6 million Afghans have sought safety and protection in Iran and Pakistan, adding a
significant additional burden to the two host countries which now host over eight million Afghans
&As Afghans become the largest refugee population globally this year, surpassing Syrian nationals, the principal host countries who have
hosted Afghans for decades need to be adequately supported,& it said.UNHCR has stated that Iran currently hosts 3.8 million Afghan refugees
and is the largest refugee-hosting country in the world.According to the organization, 2.8 million Afghans live in Pakistan, of which 1.3
million are registered as refugees.The report states that since Pakistan started the process of repatriation of illegal nationals in 2023,
some 647,000 Afghans have returned to their country
Numbers of returns in 2024 have significantly decreased, following a pause in the process. The post Over 156,000 Afghan refugees returned
home from Pakistan in first half of 2024 first appeared on Ariana News.
