‘Afghanistan has been forgotten’

The UN official visiting Kabul said she will interact with Islamic Emirate officials to discuss resolving Afghan refugee issues and establishing grounds for their return to Afghanistan…reports Asian Lite News

UN Deputy High Commissioner for Refugees Kelly T. Clements has called on the Taliban to discuss the plight of Afghan refugees and their return to the soil as many of them flee the war-torn nation when it seized power in Afghanistan last year.

“We will be taking over the course of the next days with the interim authorities about how we can support the needs of the Afghan people and how we can find solutions for those that are outside the country that wants to come home and want to be able to rebuild their lives in peace and have an Afghanistan that is inclusive of all,” TOLOnews reported, quoting UN Deputy High Commissioner for Refugees Kelly T. Clements.

Since the Taliban took control of Afghanistan in August last year, several Afghans moved out of the war-ravaged nation to dodge the Taliban’s atrocities.

The UN official visiting Kabul said she will interact with Islamic Emirate officials to discuss resolving Afghan refugee issues and establishing grounds for their return to Afghanistan, adding that she will also emphasize the need to address the problems that Afghan refugees face and to enable them to return to their country.

“Afghanistan has been forgotten,” the United Nations official said as she condemned the ongoing crisis in Afghanistan.

As per the reports by TOLOnews, Clements arrived in Kabul on Sunday.

Meanwhile, according to the Ministry of Refugees and Repatriations, hundreds of Afghan refugees return to Afghanistan every day from other countries.

“Corruption, instability, and conflict in Afghanistan are finished now,” said Khalil Rahman Haqqani, acting Minister of Refugees and Repatriations. “Now thousands are returning to Afghanistan every day.”

According to UN data, there are currently more than six million Afghans living outside of Afghanistan.

Since the Taliban took over in mid-August last year, Afghanistan has not only seen a mass exodus but also the illegal crossings of Afghans into neighbouring countries like Iran via Nimroz province and Turkey.

Although the fighting in the country has ended, Afghanistan’s situation has been deteriorating as serious human rights violations continue unabated. (ANI)

ALSO READ: Actions afoot to save Afghanistan from hunger