Attachments
To date, this Emergency Appeal, which seeks CHF 24,600,000 is only 6% funded. Further funding contributions are needed to enable the National Societies in the region neighboring Afghanistan, with the support of the IFRC, to continue with the preparedness efforts of and provide humanitarian assistance and protection to people on the move from Afghanistan.
Description of the crisis
As the humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan worsens, the risk of displacement increases both within the country and beyond its borders to neighboring countries. While daily cross-border population movements are moderate, the risk of economic collapse and further deterioration of Afghanistan's socioeconomic and security situation cannot be ruled out, potentially leading to more people fleeing to neighboring countries.
The instability and uncertainty in Afghanistan in the aftermath of the change of leadership in mid-August 2021 and US/allies withdrawal from the country, has had profound global and regional repercussions, particularly for neighboring countries. Internal displacement has dramatically compounded in recent months, with nearly 700,000 people internally displaced this year bringing the total number of people internally displaced to 3.5 million. The uncertain internal situation has potential to trigger mass movement of people in the neighboring countries.
Pakistan
Pakistan – which shares a 2,700-kilometer land border with Afghanistan – has hosted Afghan migrants and refugees for over 40 years. There are currently an estimated three million Afghans in Pakistan, including both refugees and unregistered and/or undocumented Afghans. To date, there are no official reports of new arrivals of refugees and asylum seekers from Afghanistan, consistent with the government’s decision not to accept any additional refugees in the country. However, there are reports of people moving between the countries. Even with limited cross border movement, those who have crossed into Pakistan from Afghanistan since August 2021 have already placed additional stress on the highly vulnerable host communities and weak health systems.
Iran
Afghans continue to enter Iran in an irregular manner through unofficial border crossing points, while official borders between Afghanistan and Iran remain closed to asylum seekers.
The majority of displaced people are Hazara and Tajik origin, from the following eight provinces/locations: Herat, Balkh, Kunduz, Parwan, Baghlan, Nimruz, Ghazni, and Faryab in Afghanistan. Given the demographic specifications of Afghan families, a large proportion of the displaced will be children, as well as pregnant and breastfeeding mothers, single-headed households, the elderly, unaccompanied minors, and people with disabilities will be presented among the new arrivals.
The Iran-Afghanistan border is 921 kilometers long, with crossing points in three provinces in the south: Khorasan Razavi (which connects to Herat, Afghanistan), South Khorasan, and Sistan-u-Baluchistan. Aside from the official crossing points, there are also unofficial passages used primarily by human traffickers and drug smugglers. Border crossings between Afghanistan and Iran include Islam Qala in Herat Province of Afghanistan and Taybad in Razavi Khorasan Province of Iran, Abu Nasr Farahi in Farah Province of Afghanistan and Mahirud in South Khorasan Province of Iran, Zaranj in Nimruz Province of Afghanistan, and Milak in Sistan-u-Baluchistan Province of Iran. If the security situation in Afghanistan deteriorates, forcing mass population movement towards Iran’s borders, support will be provided to screen/vet the newcomers, and transfer them to pre-established camps in three provinces bordering Afghanistan, including South Khorasan, Sistan-u-Baluchistan, and Khorasan Razavi.
Tajikistan
Following the developments in Afghanistan around 14-15 August 2021, the ongoing trend of displacement will unlikely remain internal. Population movement to the neighboring Central Asia countries, particularly Tajikistan, is not excluded. Ongoing volatility in the North-Eastern Territories bordering Tajikistan, which shares a 1,357 km border with Afghanistan, further increases the likelihood of population arrival. Likely entry points would be through one or some of the 7 border checkpoints (BCPs) north of Kunduz, Takhar and Badakhshan provinces that are situated along the Panj River and natural borderline which span the riverine border. It is also expected that new arrivals come through informal crossing points.