Taliban Calls for Increased Aid to Afghan Returnees

As winter approaches, the Taliban’s Minister of Refugees and Repatriation, Khalil-ur-Rahman Haqqani, has called for increased aid from international aid organizations to Afghan returnees.

Haqqani made the request during a meeting with Amy Pope, head of the International Organization for Migration (IOM), in Kabul on Tuesday.

“We need increased assistance from international aid organizations to help Afghan returnees who are facing severe challenges,” Haqqani said. “The winter months are especially difficult for returnees, and we need your help to ensure that they have the basic necessities to survive.”

Haqqani also urged aid organizations to visit returnee communities to see firsthand the challenges they are facing.

“We need you to come and see the situation for yourself,” he said. “You need to see how difficult it is for returnees to find jobs, get access to education and healthcare, and find safe and affordable housing.”

Pope, for her part, said that aid organizations are working to provide assistance to Afghan returnees.

“We are committed to helping Afghans who have been displaced by conflict,” she said. “We are working to provide assistance in the areas of education, health, and shelter The Taliban took control of Afghanistan in August 2021, leading to a mass exodus of Afghans. According to the United Nations, more than 700,000 Afghans have returned to the country since the Taliban takeover.

The return of Afghans is a major challenge for the Taliban government. The country is facing a severe humanitarian crisis, and the Taliban is struggling to provide basic services to its citizens.

The international community has provided billions of dollars in aid to Afghanistan, but more is needed to help the country recover from the decades of conflict.