More than 400,000 Afghan refugees returned home so far this year – UN agency

More than 400,000 Afghan refugees have returned home so far this year, bringing the number of returnees to more than 2.32 million since organized repatriation began in March 2002, about half the estimated total of those in Pakistan and Iran, the two principal asylum countries, the UN refugee agency announced today.

Although well below the annual rate of last year’s unprecedented return of 1.8 million refugees, this year’s total number is likely to rise significantly by the end of the repatriation season, Kris Janowski, a spokesman for the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), told a news briefing in Geneva.

The success of this still massive repatriation has been marred by a spate of recent attacks that have killed aid workers and injured many Afghans, hindering the delivery of relief aid to some parts of the country, Mr. Janowski said. “Our office in Kunar province remains closed following a rocket attack two weeks ago in which a missile landed less than 400 metres from the premises,” he added.

Aid workers operating in Afghanistan’s southern and southeastern provinces must observe strict security guidelines following numerous security incidents over the last year. Kandahar and the neighbouring Hilmand province have been the scene of several security incidents involving aid workers in recent weeks.