Afghanistan 10 years after Soviet pull-out
This is a summary of what was said by UNHCR spokesperson – to whom quoted text may be attributed – at today's press briefing at the Palais des Nations in Geneva.
A decade after the last Soviet soldier left Afghan soil, and 20 years after the first groups of Afghan refugees fled the Soviet invasion, more than 2.6 million Afghans still remain in exile.
The Afghans have remained the single largest refugee group in the world for 19 years in succession, although their continuing plight has, in recent years, been overshadowed by newer conflicts and refugee movements elsewhere in the world.
By the end of 1979 - the year the Soviet army entered Afghanistan in support of the communist regime which had seized power the previous year - there were already 400,000 refugees in Pakistan and 200,000 in Iran. By 15 February 1989, the number had risen to a staggering 6.2 million, split almost equally between the two neighbouring countries, which showed extraordinary generosity in hosting such a vast number of refugees on their territory, despite the burden they represented to their own societies, environment and infrastructure. In both Iran and Pakistan, the refugees were allowed to work, and received considerable government support in the education and health sectors.
Since the Soviet withdrawal, almost two thirds of the refugees have returned to their devastated and poverty-stricken country, despite the outbreak of a new war between different Afghan groups competing for power. In all, more than 4 million Afghans have returned home voluntarily since 1989 - another refugee record - and a remarkable testimony to their courage.
While it was the Soviet invasion and occupation of Afghanistan that caused the majority of the refugees to flee, it is subsequent events - almost uninterrupted fighting between constantly shifting alliances of Afghan political groups and militias, continued human rights abuses, and a shattered economy and infrastructure - that is preventing the final settlement of the Soviet legacy.
The strength of the refugees' desire to rebuild their lives in their home country was amply demonstrated in 1992, after the communist government, shorn of its superpower support, finally fell from power. During the course of that year, a total of 1.6 million refugees went home. In 1993, another million followed suit, even though by then the capital city, Kabul, was being torn apart by infighting between different Afghan factions.
By the late 1990s, the numbers returning to relatively safe parts of the country - of which there are plenty - were still adding up to around 100,000 a year. However, many of the remaining refugees are understandably reluctant to return under current circumstances.
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Afghanistan Voluntary Repatriation Report - March 2014
16 Apr 2014 ... 31 March 2014: In March 2014, a total of 1,351 Afghan refugees voluntarily repatriated to Afghanistan. ... The rate of return so far this year shows a sharp decrease (56%) compared to the 5,281 Afghans ...... -
Afghanistan Regional Portfolio: Solutions Strategy for Afghan Refugees 2015/2016
26 Sep 2014 ... Afghan Returnees/Durable Solutions 5.8 million* returned to Afghanistan since 2002 Afghan refugee returns from Pakistan and the Islamic Republic of Iran Pakistan The Islamic Republic of Iran Afghan ...... -
Afghanistan Regional Portfolio: Solutions Strategy for Afghan Refugees 2014
26 Sep 2014 ... Afghan Returnees/Durable Solutions 5.8 million* returned to Afghanistan since 2002 Afghan refugee returns from Pakistan and the Islamic Republic of Iran Pakistan The Islamic Republic of Iran Afghan ...... -
Afghan Solutions Strategy Presentation
23 Oct 2015 ... agencies u Overview of projects u Summary financial requirements Refugee return to Afghanistan u Following 3 decades of conflict and destruction, almost 6 million Afghans have ...... -
The Struggle for Equality - Why girls lose out
... ... They have gone on to become teachers, pursue further education and support their families, in Pakistan as well as on their return to Afghanistan. As a former teacher, she was struck by the lack of ...... -
Afghanistan: repatriation from Pakistan to resume
27 Feb 2004 ... Next week we will resume assisting refugees who want to return from Pakistan to Afghanistan, restarting the distribution of repatriation assistance that was interrupted after the murder of a staff ...... -
Iran-Afghanistan: returns top 5,000
25 Apr 2000 ... (395) crossed into Afghanistan at the Islam Qala border point. ... and their belongings were to transfer to Afghan trucks for ... a target of 100,000 returns each from Iran and Pakistan this year. ...... -
More than a million Afghans return home
17 Jun 2002 ... were not receiving the international support they needed to ensure their return would be sustainable. ... displaced people to be transported back to their home villages inside Afghanistan. ...... -
Afghanistan: Iris-testing proves successful
10 Oct 2003 ... Since we introduced state-of-the-art iris recognition tests for refugees seeking assistance to return to Afghanistan a year ago, we have so far seen more than 200,000 Afghans undergo what has proven ......