KABUL—Taliban have called for greater international cooperation to address the ongoing refugee crisis, urging the United Nations (UN) to play a more active role in supporting Afghan refugees and internally displaced persons (IDPs).
In a meeting with the deputy director of the International Organization for Migration (IOM) in Afghanistan, Abdul Kabir, the Taliban’s acting minister of refugees and repatriation, emphasized that forced deportations from neighboring countries have worsened the humanitarian situation inside Afghanistan, according to a statement from the ministry.
The Taliban statement also noted that the IOM official reaffirmed the UN’s commitment to providing both cash and non-cash assistance to Afghan refugees and utilizing available resources to support returnees at border points.
Expressing concern over the deportations, the IOM representative stated that the organization is prepared to enhance coordination with Afghan institutions to ensure effective humanitarian assistance before the next wave of forced returns from Pakistan begins.
The meeting comes as Pakistan has set a deadline for Afghan refugees with valid visas and pending relocation cases to leave the country by the end of March. After this date, Pakistani authorities are expected to begin arresting and deporting Afghan nationals from cities such as Islamabad and Rawalpindi.
