Paktia: Help us rebuild homes, newly returning families urge govt

GARDEZ (Pajhwok): Hundreds of families who recently returned from Pakistan to southeastern Paktia province say the government should help rebuild their houses besides providing them with facilities in areas of education and health.

The families numbering about 800 returned to Paktia through Dand Patan border district.

One of the returnees, Juma Khan Zazi, told Pajhwok Afghan News: “We returned from Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province after three decades. We are happy to be back. Many other refugee families in Pakistan want to return to their homeland.”

He urged the government to assist them in rebuilding their houses and provide them with services in areas of education and health.

“The government should assist us in rebuilding our homes and villages because everything was ruined after our departure and now we could not afford to rebuild them.”

Another returnee, Nor Wali, told Pajhwok Afghan News: “The clean drinking water system in our area is destroyed, our farm fields are deserted and we need help in every aspect of life and we should be assisted.”

He said the refugee life had been full of miseries and now he would live in his own country and contribute to the country’s rebuilding.

Similar views were expressed by other returning families and urged the government to support in various fields.

Matiullah Kamalpuri, head of Doista organization in Paktia, told Pajhwok Afghan News they had assisted the returning families and would provide them more assistance in future.

He said, for example, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) had provided assistance to the refugees in the areas of health, food and cash.

Meanwhile, Faiz Mohammad Haidari, head of coordination for returning refugees in Paktia, told Pajhwok Afghan News: “This year more than 800 families returned to Paktia from Pakistan and according to our information, more families are likely to return to their homeland.” .

He said some assistance had been provided to the refugees and more would be provided.

The families return amid efforts by many Afghans to leave the country through legal and illegal ways.

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