Update on the situation at the Afghan-Pakistani border

Emergency aid for the hundreds of thousands of Afghan people expelled by the Pakistani government is in full swing. The past weeks have shown that many Afghan men and women experience violence or abuse by the Pakistani border authorities at the border. After crossing the border, most returnees face homelessness, hunger, and a lack of health services.

Many people end up in transit centers where non-governmental organizations and local authorities provide emergency assistance. However, due to the large influx, these centers lack basic services.

Torkham border crossing, Nangarhar province. Image: Première Urgence Internationale

Our local partner, Première Urgence Internationale (PUI), is providing emergency aid at the Torkham border crossing and in transit centers in the Nangarhar province. Due to the high demand, Women’s Hope is also participating in emergency aid, specifically supporting measures targeting sexual and reproductive health to assist girls and women in this emergency situation.

In the past weeks, PUI has taken action in the following three areas:

Comprehensive health services: Our partner organization has set up a provisional and simple "delivery room" and a 24/7 accessible health center where women are cared for before and after childbirth. The project team also informs the residents of the transit center about hygiene measures and diseases, adapted to the circulating illnesses. It identifies individuals with acute malnutrition, with a particular focus on pregnant and lactating women, as well as infants. Affected individuals are supported with special food items.

Improvement of hygiene and sanitary facilities: PUI has established 30 emergency latrines and distributed kits for the treatment of acute diarrhea. Additionally, the organization has installed numerous waste containers for general waste disposal and improved existing toilets for better hygiene.

Mental health and psychosocial support: Professionals for psychosocial support are present in the camps and provide care to the returnees.

The health center operated by PUI, which is open 24/7. Picture: Première Urgence Internationale

As of December 2nd, 14'515 returnees have received assistance through the emergency aid intervention by PUI; by now, the number is likely to be significantly higher.

The need for humanitarian assistance in the operational area remains high. The project team anticipates that the influx at the border crossings will temporarily subside. Therefore, Women’s Hope and PUI will continue to expand emergency aid.

You can also support the people in Afghanistan! We will channel the funds directly to our partner organization, ensuring that the aid reaches quickly and effectively.

Thank you very much for your donation (Note: Emergency Aid Afghanistan).

November 2023

Dramatic situation at the Afghan Pakistani Border

In the midst of global crises, a humanitarian catastrophe on the Afghan-Pakistani border is in danger of being overlooked: On October 3, 2023, the Pakistani government announced that it would forcibly deport around 1.7 million Afghan refugees back to Afghanistan by November 1, unless they leave voluntarily. The Pakistani authorities are now taking action: they are forcing people back across the border to Afghanistan. Among them: Children, pregnant and breastfeeding women.

Countless of the people affected have been living in Pakistan for years, as millions of them fled to the neighboring country during the Soviet occupation of Afghanistan. As a result, many of those affected in Afghanistan have neither a network nor a safe haven. Other people left their homes after the Taliban came back to power in 2021 and are now at risk if they return.

What's more: Health care in the border camps is inadequate and conditions are precarious due to the sudden influx. Many women and girls feel unsafe in the camps and there is an urgent need for hygiene products.

For several years, Women's Hope International, together with its partner organization Première Urgence Internationale PUI, has been supporting the existing infrastructure in the province to which countless people are now streaming back. PUI is now also providing emergency aid on the ground. Our partner organization has already been able to deploy medical staff, including midwives. The organization is also planning to set up a protected area specifically to support pregnant and breastfeeding women. It is also taking measures to protect women from gender-based violence (as at November 2023).

Cover picture: Women and children in a clinic in the returning province of Laghman. Photo: Roya Heydari/Première Urgence Internationale