ISLAMABAD: The UN refugee chief has called on Pakistan to pause its mass expulsions of Afghan refugees following a devastating earthquake in eastern Afghanistan that killed nearly 1,500 people.
Filippo Grandi, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, made an appeal on X (formerly Twitter), urging Pakistan to halt the implementation of its Repatriation Plan, warning that those being expelled are returning to a disaster zone.The earthquake, with a magnitude of 6.0, struck a mountainous region near the border of Pakistan late Sunday. The quake caused mud-brick homes to collapse while families were sleeping. Rescue teams are still trying to reach survivors.
Authorities in Taliban-controlled Afghanistan reported 1,469 deaths, over 3,700 injuries, and more than 500,000 people affected. It is considered one of the deadliest quakes in decades.Pakistan has hosted Afghan refugees for over 40 years, providing shelter from violence and conflict. Some refugees were born in Pakistan, while others await resettlement elsewhere. The situation has been complicated by Pakistan’s 2023 crackdown on Afghans, citing security concerns, which has led to over 1.2 million Afghans being forced to return, including more than 443,000 this year.
The Pakistani government has targeted Afghan refugees holding UNHCR-issued Proof of Registration (PoR) cards, setting a deadline of September 1 to leave or face arrest and deportation. Since the deadline, border crossings have seen a surge in returns. For example, over 6,300 PoR cardholders returned through Torkham alone on Tuesday, with nearly 63,000 recorded since April.
Analysts believe these expulsions are meant to pressure the Taliban government in Afghanistan, which Pakistan accuses of harboring militants behind border attacks. The Taliban denies these allegations. Grandi emphasized that international aid, including from Pakistan, remains crucial as Afghanistan recovers from the quake.
