240 Waziristan refugees residing in Khost provided assistance

KHOST CITY (Pajhwok): Refugees from Waziristan residing in southeastern Khost province have been provided with small business opportunities in 28 different fields, an official said on Sunday.

Refugees and Repatriation Department Director Mawlavi Mohammad Aman Elham told Pajhwok Afghan News 8,000 refugee families from Waziristan lived in Khost province, most of them lived in the Gulan camp of Gurbaz district.

He said 240 refugee, including 120 women, have been provided small business opportunities in 28 different fields, the project cost 16 million afs.

He said efforts were underway to provide support to migrants in different areas.

Besides refugees from Waziristan, there were around 1,000 Internally Displaced Persons in the province and nearly 2,000 Afghans who recently returned from Pakistan.

Hakim Khan, one of the migrants who had been provided work opportunity in the field of plumbing, said he would not be dependable on anyone else in the future.

He said if other people like him get similar work opportunities it would be a positive development in their lives.

“I get cash assistance and I purchase plumbing equipment, now I don’t beg anymore, they provide work opportunities in different fields for Pakistani and Afghan refugees,” he said.

Abdullah, another refugee from Waziristan got work opportunity in the field of tailoring by UNHCR, said in the past he was a daily wager but now he was happy to have own business.

“UNHCR purchase fabric for me and provide cash, now I am doing my own business, I am doing tailoring as well,” he said.

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