The daily arrival in Iran of 4 to 5,000 Afghan refugees has considerably increased the humanitarian needs in this country, the NGO Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) said on Wednesday, which calls for increased financial assistance. “
Thousands of exhausted women, children and men cross the Afghanistan-Iran border every day in search of safety and Iran cannot accommodate so many Afghans with such weak support from the international community
, ”Secretary General Jan Egeland said in a statement during a visit to Iran this week. “
There must be an immediate increase in aid both inside Afghanistan and in neighboring countries like Iran before
the terrible cold of winter arrives , ”he warned.
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On a video posted Tuesday in a refugee camp near Kerman, in the center of the country, he hammered: “
I think the world has not understood how huge the crisis is across the region.
Since the Taliban took power in August, 300,000 Afghans have arrived in Iran
”.
“
There is an urgent need to give more support to Iran.
We have to help people more and better.
Just as we must strengthen ourselves in Afghanistan,
”he insisted.
In his press release, Jan Engeland notes that “
Afghanistan's economy is collapsing and the humanitarian crisis is intensifying
”.
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According to him, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has appealed for $ 300 million to help some 515,000 people who could flee by the end of the year.
“
Only 32% of the sum has been raised so far.
We commend Iran for hosting and hosting millions of displaced Afghans over the past four decades.
But now it is up to the international community to mobilize to support Afghanistan's neighbors and help them continue to welcome refugees.
Afghans represent one of the largest numbers of refugees in the world.
Almost 5 million Afghans are displaced out of their country and among them 90% live in Iran and Pakistan
”, according to NRC.
