Dozens of returning families to get new homes in Balkh

MAZAR-I-SHARIF (Pajhwok): Construction work has been launched on 40 residential houses for returning refugee families in Sholgara district of northern Balkh province, an official said on Saturday.

Refugee and Repatriation Director Asadullah Wafa told a ceremony in this regard that the houses were being built for the families who recently returned from neighboring Pakistan and Iran.

Funded by a Turkish Charity, each house would cost 2,000 US dollars, he explained, with the total amount reaching 80,000 US dollars.

He assured that the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA) was striving to address the shelter problem of the returnees.

Hamid Gunt, the head of the Turkish charity foundation, said although there was a great geographical distance between Afghanistan and Turkey, their hearts were close to the Afghans and that was way the country initiated work on residential houses for the returnee.

Meanwhile, Deputy governor Noorul Hadi Abu Idris appreciated the Turkish Charity Foundation for construction of houses for returnees and asked other aid giving institutions to follow suit.

On the other hand, the returnees were also happy to be provided with shelters.

Mohammad Zahir, who was expelled from Pakistan six months ago, said that he was happy to get a new home in his homeland.

Hundreds of thousands of Afghan refugees have been forcibly deported or voluntarily returned to the country since last one and a half years.

kk/ma