“The real challenge is still for us,” Stephanie Loose, program manager in Afghanistan, told journalists in Geneva on Friday.
‘We are talking about the reintegration of people who have lost their houses, who have lost their possessions and also their hope. ”
Millions in motion
Afghanistan is currently confronted with an unprecedented return crisis.
Since September 2023, about three million Afghans who live in Pakistan and Iran, either deported or voluntarily, were repatriated, with more than two million arrival this year. For some it is not a return but a new start.
“Many in Afghanistan have no place to go because they never really lived in Afghanistan,” said Mrs. Loose.
“Sixty percent of those who now return are lower than 18, so they have no social ties, they have no networks and there is a real risk that they take negative coping mechanisms.”
Concern for women and girls
Keerders come to a country under Taliban ruling and where about half of the population-22.9 million people-humanitarian aid requires in the midst of economic, human rights and climate-related crises.
Mrs. Loose noted that Taliban edicts prevent women and girls from going to high school, getting a job or going outside without a male supervisor are a serious challenge for returners.
“They are pushed back in a country where there is no training for girls than 12, where they don’t really know where to go, and where there is actually specific to women and girls, no social and no economic development opportunities,” she said.
“We also have households with women who return to the country. So you can simply imagine what it means for them. They cannot leave their houses without being accompanied by one MahramA male guardian, even if they want to visit a doctor.“
Challenges for integration
She added that integration is probably further complicated by the high level of needs in Afghanistan, given the fragile political, economic and social situation, coupled to more than four decades of conflicts.
Afghanistan is also of the top 10 countries that are hit by climate change, and droughts, floods and heat waves have taken a toll on national resources. They also threaten people who live in informal settlements in urban areas that are good at 80 percent of the population at these locations.
Given the scale of needs in Afghanistan, Mrs. Loose emphasized that the reconstruction of lives goes beyond emergency aid.
‘People need access to basic servicesTo water, to sanitary facilities. And in general they may need opportunities to live their lives and to support their families, “she said.
International profession
The reinforcement of large numbers of displaced persons will need enormous efforts from the international community and the Afghan authorities, she said.
‘It is a humanitarian crisis for individuals, but requires systemic, locally well -founded approachesAnd strong investments in basic services, infrastructures, home solutions and possibilities for living, “she said.
Mrs. Loose urged the international community to Afghanistan and her people, especially women and girls, not to forget and to ensure that sufficient financing is made available so that they can live dignity.
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