RASC News Agency: The European Union has announced a €17 million contribution to the International Organization for Migration to assist returnees in Afghanistan and support the communities hosting them. Rafaella Addis, head of the EU delegation in Afghanistan, posted on X on Friday, April 26, stating that the aid aims to ensure returnees have access to essential services and to protect them and their host communities.
According to the EU, the agreement signed with the International Organization for Migration particularly focuses on the needs of women and girls. The EU’s statement noted that from January 2023 to April 2024, more than 1.5 million people were repatriated from Pakistan and Iran to Afghanistan, and “what began as a humanitarian emergency at the country’s border crossings has turned into a crisis for host communities across the country.”
The European Union added that despite the “tremendous solidarity” of the Afghanistani people with returnees, the influx of a large number of migrants and refugees has increased pressure on scarce resources. The EU’s statement said that the International Organization for Migration will use this aid to address the challenges facing returnees, providing them with healthcare, education, and vocational training.
This aid comes at a time when the second phase of deportations of undocumented Afghanistani migrants and refugees from Pakistan has recently begun. Amnesty International released a statement saying that the start of this phase poses a risk to the lives of more than 800,000 Afghanistani migrants and refugees.
