Some 6,452 people from Pakistan have fled North Waziristan into the eastern parts of Afghanistan. PHOTO: FILE
Babar Baloch, spokesperson of UNHCR based in Geneva, told The Express Tribune via telephone that Afghan authorities have said that the number of refugees from Pakistan is more than estimated, as they are scattered and currently staying with the locals, relatives and friends.
“The Afghan government has not yet made a total assessment as the refugees are not staying in a camp,” Baloch said. The UNHCR is helping the Afghans who are hosting the Pakistani refugees, he added.
The UNHCR spokesperson Adrian Edwards said the refugee agency is helping authorities in Khost to register and assist the fleeing Pakistanis.
Some 6,452 people from Pakistan have fled North Waziristan into the eastern parts of Afghanistan, mostly arriving in the districts of Gurboz, Khost (Matun), Tanni, Nadir Shah Kot and Mando Zai in Khost province, he said at a briefing in Geneva, according to details emailed to The Express Tribune.
“The newly arrived women, men and children have trekked the mountainous terrains across Pakistan's border to seek safety,” he said.
The spokesperson said that the Pakistani refugees are being accommodated with local Afghan communities for now. “However, Afghan hosting communities have limited absorption capacity and resources. The urgent needs include shelter, clean drinking water and sanitation.”
“UNHCR is concerned that [the] families close to conflict-affected areas will be further exposed to violence, and humanitarian access could be limited,” he said.
As an immediate response, UNHCR is providing tents and other basic relief items to the most vulnerable, while its partner agency the World Food Programme (WFP) has distributed food assistance, including sugar, rice, tea, beans and salt.
He said a joint assessment on the needs of the latest arrivals are being conducted with the provincial directorate of the Ministry of Refugees and Repatriation, WFP and other partners to assess urgent humanitarian needs.
The spokesperson said that the government of Pakistan has confirmed that over 101,000 people have been internally displaced from North Waziristan into the Banu, Dera Ismail Khan and Tank areas of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province.
“As part of a UN inter-agency response, in support of the government, UNHCR is ready to assist the displaced population inside Pakistan,” he said.
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All Indian advisors of Karzai are running loose here, I see. Thanks to ET we would never had known what they are advising to Afghan leaders and suggesting to public there.
@BruteForce: Dumb argument. 6,000 people is not a big deal. There are 3 million + Afghans in Pakistan living since decades. It's a loose border, and many Afghans with Pakistani passports move back and forth across the border. 6,000 is nothing, more Afghans than that enter Pakistan each day.
@Zog:
Afghanistan is nobody's poodle. They just are sick of Pakistan sending Terrorist after Terrorists, like recent Indian Consulate Blasts, where half a dozen innocent lives were lost.
If country A is sending Terrorists in your country, its completely justifiable to oppose that Country A.
@iObject: Are these 1.6m (number is close to 2.7m if you include undocumented) "refugees" who have bought property and running businesses, paying taxes?
This demonstrates they are economic migrants rather than refugees seeking shetlter from persecution or conflict.
We Pakistanis, regardless of our meagre resources, genuinely want to help ordinary Afghanis, we want to give them shelter and protection if they need it. Many see it as their muslim duty. But it has been over 30 years now and Pakistan itself has been destablised.
I suggest you go to youtube and see how Western countries handcuff illegal Afghani immigrants, bundle them on to planes and shove them back to Kabul. Even Iran forced its Afghan "refugees" to return.
Pakistan on the other hand had agreed not to repatriat forcefully and provides support for those who wish to return. And Afghans (with Indian manipulation) still abuse Pakistan.
I don't understand? You want Afghanistan to turn over bad terrorists to you but you don't want to turn over bad terrorists to Afghanistan? How does that make sense? You've been doing this to Afghanistan for decades and Afghanistan has to prove itself? Lets see some action against the Haqqani. The government of Afghanistan will not but a party to your double game at the expense of its security.
If you want to have a true and meaningful bilateral security arrangement like civilized nations then do so. Outside of that, 100 Pakistan's united wouldn't intimidate a single Afghan soul ever.
@Zog - Most of the 1.6m Afghan refugees in Pakistan are those who have bought properties and running their own business and can not afford to risk their businesses by shifting them to Afghanistan and start all over. Security is no longer worse in Afghanistan as it is in Pakistan and neither does it stop the Afghan refugees to return to Afghanistan.
These are actually Afghans who have lived in Pakistan and gotten their Pakistani passports. Glad to see they have moved back to their original country/Afghanistan. Welcome back home Afghan brothers!
Pakistanis now prefer to live in Afghanistan than in Pakistan. Shame on our government and our Army to make their lives so miserable in their country.
Lets use logic, Taliban and these Villagers have lived together for years, no issues like SWAT. Now Taliban knows Pakistan army is coming and gone to Afghanistan. Who are these villagers afraid of? If Pakistani Army Why? is it because in-discriminate aerial and artillery bombing by army?
Indians logic is as stupid as their curry cooking skills
@BruteForce: Pathetic BruteForce. It is such a shame to see Afghanistan, a country inhabited by strong people, become India's poodle.
What this does demonstrate however is there is perhaps less argument for Pakistan to host the 3m Afghans still here.
If Afghanistan is now safe to give other refuse, Afghans in Paksitan should no longer be considerd refugees.
Either way, we are talking about people here,so they need to be repatriated in a humane and dignified way back to Afghanistan.
It's high time Karzai stop listening to Indian advisors & turn over FazalUllah to Pakistan and sort thus TTP problem once and for all. Show your commitment Mr Karzai, this is your moment, don't miss this opportunity, prove to the world you really care about your extremist issue and not Indian drama of Mumbai drama.
Now Pakistanis cannot say they are hosting Afghans on Pakistani soil.
I hope Pakistan thanks Afghan Govt for hosting them.