280,000 returnees provided assistance so far, says WFP

KABUL (Pajhwok): The World Food Programme (WFP) in Afghanistan says it has provided food and cash assistance to more than 280,000 Afghan refugees returning from Pakistan so far.

WFP wrote on its X handle: “Many of them have nowhere to go and do not know how they will survive the harsh Afghan winter.

“So far, over 280,000 people forced to return from #Pakistan to #Afghanistan, have received WFP food and cash assistance.”

Pakistan had set the November 1 deadline for undocumented Afghan refugees to leave the country or face mass deportations and detention.  About 1.4 million unregistered Afghans are currently living in Pakistan.

According to reports, Afghan refugees are being arrested, their houses are demolished and many were forcibly evicted and the crackdown is ongoing.

Earlier, UNHCR had warned if adequate shelter was not provided for Afghan refugees returning from Pakistan, there is risk that they may lose their lives due to the severe cold of winter.

Recently, the Pakistani government expended the deadline to Feb 29, 2024 to encourage the Afghans to obtain legal documents or finalise arrangements for evacuation to  a third country.

kk/mud