14 December 2023 — A group of nine international NGOs operating in Afghanistan urgently calls on the international community and humanitarian donors to increase their support for displaced families who have returned to Afghanistan to ensure their survival during the harsh winter months. Additionally, to avert a deepening crisis, they urge hosting countries to continue to offer refuge for Afghans abroad until a safe and sustainable return to their home country is viable.
Almost three months have passed since Pakistan announced that undocumented foreign nationals must leave the country or face deportation, since then close to half a million Afghans have crossed the border into Afghanistan. Returning Afghan families face a bleak future with little to no resources to survive the harsh winter, let alone rebuild their lives, warn CARE International (CARE), the Danish Refugee Council (DRC), INTERSOS, ̽»¨¾«Ñ¡ (̽»¨¾«Ñ¡), Islamic Relief Worldwide (IRW), Mercy Corps, the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC), Save the Children International and World Vision International (WVI).
80% of those returning are women and children who are exposed to heightened protection risks on the journey back to Afghanistan.
Mariam*, a mother of five who is confined in a living space with 11 family members, shares her family’s struggles in meeting their needs:
“We used all our money, including the assistance we received at the border, to re