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AFGHAN REFUGEE CRISIS 2021
Read more on - Polity | Economy | Schemes | S&T | Environment
- World's problem: After more than four decades of displacement, Afghan refugees constitute one of the largest protracted refugee situations in the world. In recent years some Afghan refugees returned home, while others remain displaced in neighboring countries. There are nearly 60 lakh Afghans who have been forcibly displaced, and of those, 30 lakh are displaced within Afghanistan; 26 lakh are refugees living in other countries. The remainder are people of concern, including those who have returned to Afghanistan and are being assisted by UNHCR.
- Why displaced: Afghans have suffered more than 40 years of conflict, natural disasters, chronic poverty, food insecurity and most recently the COVID-19 pandemic. Violence in Afghanistan is worsening in intensity and spreading in reach – causing even more human suffering and displacement. Their resilience and the resilience of their host communities is being stretched to the absolute limit.
- Globally speaking: Afghan refugees are the third-largest displaced population in the world — following Syrian refugees and displaced Venezuelans. The vast majority of refugees from Afghanistan are living in Pakistan and Iran, which continue to host more than 14 lakh and 7.8 lakh registered Afghan refugees respectively. Both countries also host millions of Afghans who have left in search of better economic opportunities or access to services.
- The prolonged nature of the crisis has prompted intensified efforts to support Afghan refugees and the host communities in Iran and Pakistan that have generously accommodated them for over four decades.
- These efforts include initiatives to facilitate their voluntary return and sustainable reintegration that aims to find solutions for refugees and provide support to host countries.
- Refugee Statistics – 2015 crisis
- Nearly one in 100 people worldwide have been pushed out of their homes due to war or political instability.
- Including 5.2 million Palestinian refugees, the total number of refugees in the world today is 21.3 million. This does not include internally displaced persons (IDPs) who have not left their country’s borders but were forcibly moved from their community. More than 65 million people are affected by war and power struggles, including IDPs.
- Fifty-three percent of refugees come from Somalia, Afghanistan and Syria. Respectively, 1.1 million, 2.7 million, and 4.8 million refugees are from these countries.
- The Middle East and North Africa host 39 percent of refugees. Africa hosts 29 percent, Europe and the Americas host 18 percent, while Asia and the Pacific host 14 percent. Turkey, Pakistan, Lebanon, Ethiopia, and Jordan rank as the top hosting countries.
- The number of people seeking asylum in Europe has also reached a record high of 1.3 million. Most of these refugees are from Syria, Afghanistan and Iraq.
- Germany, Hungary and Sweden have become the top destination countries in Europe for refugees.
- In the history of statistics on refugees, the last five years have seen the greatest rate of increase on record. The greatest rate of decrease occurred between the years 1994 to 1999. The lowest recorded number of refugees was in 1963.
- Nine out of 10 refugees head for neighboring countries. Most do not seek asylum in industrialized countries. About 86 percent are hosted in developing countries.
- Pakistan and Iran house nearly 95 percent of Afghan refugees.
- Turkey, Lebanon, Jordan, Iraq and Egypt house nearly 95 percent of Syrian refugees.
- Acute problem: More than 5.5 lakh Afghans are newly displaced inside the country since January 2021 – primarily due to insecurity and violence. The impact of the conflict on women and girls has been particularly devastating. Since May 2021, nearly 390,000 Afghans have been displaced within the country – 80 percent are women and children. The needs of those who have had to flee suddenly are acute, increasing demand for shelter, food, water and health services.
- What UNHCR does: UNHCR and partners are assisting newly displaced Afghans with emergency shelter, food, health, water and sanitation support and cash assistance, despite challenges in accessing vulnerable groups. UNHCR also helps by facilitating voluntary repatriation for Afghan refugees from Iran, Pakistan and other countries, once it is established that their return is voluntary, safe, dignified and durable. Since 2002, UNHCR has supported the return of over 5.2 million refugees to Afghanistan, including over 900 refugees so far in 2021. Afghan returnees are provided with cash grants to help address their immediate needs, as well as basic health services like malnutrition screening and vaccinations, mine risk education, information on school enrollment and overnight transit assistance. They are also assisted with reintegration into their communities.
- US welcomes refugees: The United States has a long history of welcoming refugees, including Afghan refugees. Some of those who have been resettled are Afghan nationals who served as translators or interpreters during the U.S. mission in Afghanistan. Due to their employment with the U.S. government, many faced serious threats to their safety. They have come to the U.S. seeking safety for themselves and their families and have been resettled in communities where they are now thriving.
- Afghans in India: Refugees have been forced to depend on relatives from the US, UAE, UK, Germany and Canada for sustaining their livelihood as Afghanistan’s banking system has stopped functioning. ATMs across Afghanistan have been empty for days and money transfer firms such as MoneyGram and Western Union have halted operations too. Even relatives and friends of the refugees in India who have hosted them do not have a bank account as rules don’t permit it. Many of them said money changers no longer accepted "afghani" even in places such Bhogal and Lajpat Nagar which have a large number of Afghans.
- Nobody knows what changes Taliban will make to the banking and financial system and money changers don’t want to take a risk. They made many changes to currency that they deemed was not Islamic. Since Afghans are also not leaving India for Kabul, the notes are stuck here.
- Bank-e-Milli, Ghazanfar Bank, Maiwand Bank, Afghanistan National Bank, Afghan United Bank, Pashtany Bank, Azizi Bank and Kabul Bank had become popular in the last few years, but Afghans have traditionally relied on cash transfers from kin abroad.
- According to World Bank estimates, remittances to Afghanistan was around $790 million, 4% of its GDP. Even money transfer services in India only offer a payout meaning they can receive up to ?50,000 in one go, but would need to go to the bank’s head office to send money to family in Afghanistan.
- ATMs across Afghanistan are empty and money exchange is unavailable. There is a lot of uncertainty surrounding exchange rates.
- Summary: The humanitarian crisis seems set to worsen now, given the Taliban's attitude for the time-being.
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