More than 100,000 displaced Afghans, returnees in desperate plight – UN

More than 100,000 internally displaced persons and returnees in Afghanistan live under the open sky, in tents or improvised shelters, a UN report said on Monday.

“Almost 2 million have no access to a doctor while 1.5 million do not have access to a market to buy and sell goods, including food items.

“Some 700,000 are not receiving an education.

“The figures came from a humanitarian bulletin by the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), which highlights the desperate situation of displaced people and returnees,’’ UN report said.

The UN assessment of the “most vulnerable Afghans” takes into account the situation in 15 of the country’s 34 provinces that see the highest rates of displacement and return.

The returnees largely come from neighbouring Pakistan, which has hosted Afghans displaced by war for decades.

However, relations between Pakistan and Afghanistan have deteriorated starkly, sending many Afghans back to their home country.

“For this year, the UN is planning for up to 700,000 more returnees from the refugee camps and host communities in Pakistan.

“The UN is warning that many of these returnees are likely to become internally displaced, among other reasons because conflict has intensified.

“Last year, one quarter of all returnees from Pakistan arrived in Afghanistan with no intention of returning to their province of origin. This is up from just over one fifth in the previous year,’’ it noted.