For Immediate Release

Contact: Vanessa Parra, +1-202-828-0110 x225
vanessa@refugeesinternational.org

Worsening Crisis in Afghanistan Requires Increased Support for Millions of Refugees and ReturneesNew Field Report Warns that Billions of Dollars of U.S. Funding Not Reaching Vulnerable Afghan Refugees in Need

Washington, DC – The United States must reallocate funding towards programs that support millions of Afghan refugees and returnees, a field report by Refugees International urged today. The new report, Afghanistan: Invest in People, describes millions of Afghans who are returning to an unstable country and struggling to access housing, jobs, medical care and education. In addition, a government scheme to provide plots of land to returning Afghans was implemented with little planning for basic services such as water, schools and health clinics. Authors also met with refugees who have been pressured to repatriate from Pakistan, including from camps closed by force.

“A stable Afghanistan is tied to the safety and well-being of refugees returning home,” said Kristele Younes, Senior Advocate for Refugees International. “Despite billions of dollars in international aid, the needs of these people are not being met. If the U.S. is serious about success in Afghanistan, there should be a great deal more focus on community-based projects that help returning refugees find sustainable homes and earn an income.”

Afghanistan: Invest in People is based on findings from Refugees International’s June mission to Afghanistan and Pakistan. Over 5 million Afghans have returned home since the fall of the Taliban in 2002, the largest refugee return process in the UN refugee agency’s history, while nearly 3 million refugees remain in exile. Despite the magnitude of need, the report notes that the U.S. State Department’s refugee bureau only has $50 million a year to help Afghans returning home and those who remain in Pakistan and Iran. In contrast, the U.S. military spends almost $100 million each day in the country. Billions of dollars in additional funding for Afghanistan focus on long-term development projects that do not address the needs of returning Afghans.

The report also calls for a renewed effort to assist refugees in Pakistan, who fear being forced to leave. Most Afghan refugee families have lived in Pakistan for close to three decades, and half the population was born and raised in Pakistan. As a result, many have little to return to in Afghanistan.

“Repatriating people back to a country that is no longer their home and cannot absorb them creates more obstacles to progress,” said Patrick Duplat, Advocate for Refugees International. “Instead, the U.S. should inject resources to help refugees further integrate in Pakistan. This would not only help Afghans, but also promotes the development of key Pakistani sectors and services.”

In 2007, the UN refugee agency (UNHCR) provided registration cards for all previously unregistered refugees. These registrations will expire in December of 2009, leaving refugees with an uncertain future. The Pakistani government’s official position is that all Afghans should return home when their cards expire. This is creating severe anxiety among the population, and Refugees International is calling on the U.S. and the UN to ensure that any returns from Pakistan are voluntary.

Refugees International is a Washington, DC-based organization that advocates to end refugee crises. Read our most recent recommendations at: www.refugeesinternational.org.

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