Highlights
602,850 total returns from Iran and Pakistan since 01 January 2020
597,717 total returns from Iran
5,133 total returns from Pakistan
Over the past week 25,917 undocumented Afghans returned from Iran with 5% of returnees from Iran (1,411 individuals) assisted
Over the past week 132 undocumented Afghans returned from Pakistan with 92% of returnees from Pakistan (122 individuals) assisted
Return from Iran
According to the Border Monitoring Team of the Directorate of Refugees and Repatriation (DoRR), a total of 25,917 Afghans returned from Iran through the Nimroz (Milak) and Herat (Islam Qala) borders between 27 Sep—03 Oct 2020, a 3% decrease from the previous week (26,801). 12,341 persons returned voluntarily and 13,576 were deported. Since 01 January 2020, the total number of undocumented returnees from Iran is 597,717 individuals. IOM provided post-arrival humanitarian assistance to 1,411 (5%) of all undocumented Afghans at the IOM Transit Centers in Herat and Nimroz during the past week.
Coronavirus Update
IOM is actively supporting the Ministry of Public Health (MoPH) and WHO in addressing preparedness and emergency coordination actions through its Cross Border Return, Migration Health and Displacement Tracking Matrix (DTM) Units.
IOM support is primarily focused across 4 of WHO’s Global Response Pillars include 1. Coordination; 2. Risk Communication and Community Engagement; 3. Surveillance/DTM; and 4. Points of Entry. Activities include training for frontline health workers, deployment of staffing to areas of need including placement in health facilities, secondment of staff to cross border surveillance, material support of PPE and other equipment, ambulance based referral services, distribution of MOPHWHO IEC materials and community level awareness raising and sensitization efforts through health education sessions including within Displacement Tracking Matrix focus group discussions in 11,768 settlements across 34 provinces. For more information please refer to https://afghanistan.iom.int/IOM-COVID-19-Response