The overall situation inside Afghanistan deteriorated in 2021 and has had significant consequences for the most vulnerable among the population. Some 3.4 million people are currently internally displaced by conflict, over 1 million IDPs have returned to their places of origin, and 1.6 million new arrivals have been witnessed in neighboring countries. UNHCR is responding to this emergency, with needs outlined in a regional Refugee Response Plan (RRP) and Afghanistan’s Humanitarian Response Plan (HRP). Iran and Pakistan, which are neighbours of Afghanistan, also host some 2.3 million registered Afghan refugees, and other Afghans with different statuses. The majority of registered refugees fled Afghanistan over the years, including from as early as 1979. While 5.3 million refugees returned to Afghanistan in phases since 2002, this trend has been declining in recent times with just over 6,400 people choosing to return in 2022. Since August 2021, UNHCR has maintained a non-return advisory for Afghanistan (reaffirmed February 2023), calling for a halt on forced returns of Afghan nationals. On this page you will find updates on UNHCR's work in support Afghan IDPs, refugees and returnees. Links are also provided below for the individual UNHCR country operation pages for additional information.
Registered Refugees from Afghanistan (in Iran, Pakistan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan)
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2,074,723
Last updated 31 Dec 2022
Source - UNHCR, Government of the Islamic Republic of Iran (GIRI)
In Iran, UNHCR is using an average figure according to various government estimates and continues to follow-up with authorities to receive updated and disaggregated data as well as an estimate of how many presently remain in Iran. Of the average 1 million new arrivals, approximately 66,000 Afghans have approached UNHCR. Of the 600,000 new arrivals reported by the Government of Pakistan, approximately 295,000 have approached UNHCR. According to Government of Uzbekistan sources, some 13,020 Afghan citizens arrived in the country since January 2021. The majority arrived before August 15 with valid visas issued by the Uzbek consulate in Mazar-i-Sharif.
The UNHCR Microdata Library (MDL) contains unit-level microdata collected directly by UNHCR or indirectly through its partners. Metadata, reports, or survey questionnaires are also provided for complementary information on the datasets. All datasets on the MDL are anonymized and available to researchers and humanitarian organizations upon request. Organizations which collect relevant data are highly encouraged to submit datasets for dissemination through the MDL.
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