The Church World Service: Emergency Response Program
CWS Situation Report: Afghan Refugees
May 10, 2007


SITUATION: Afghanis are being deported by the Iranian government in 
areas scattered across Afghanistan*s three western provinces of Herat, 
Farah and Nimroz that border Iran, Church World Service 
Pakistan/Afghanistan reports. People are being forcibly repatriated, 
according to reports, and deportees are reportedly being ill-treated by 
Iranian security officials.

The number of returnee refugee families that have been registered by the 
Afghanistan government is at 564 in Farah Province, while a further 500 
families that have not been registered are believed to be spread over 
the various districts, according to the United Nations. Some 4,500 
returnee families have been reported as arriving in Nimroz Province.

The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs* IRIN service 
reports that the Afghan Foreign Ministry had said that some 30,000 
Afghan refugees, including women and children, had been sent home from 
Iran during the last week of April alone.

It is unclear how many Afghans work and live in Iran without formal 
documentation but, according to the report, Iran has indicated that 
there may be as many as 1 million people who might be sent home to 
Afghanistan.

CWS-Pakistan/Afghanistan says that between April 24 to May 5, 2007, the 
process of deporting Afghan refugees has continued through the Dogharoon 
border of Herat province and Abrishem Bridge of Nimroz province.

Returnees are facing huge problems surviving day to day, with a need for 
food, shelter and other basic items, especially among the families 
scattered across Farah and Nimroz provinces -- both areas where 
insecurity levels are high, and where few aid agencies operate.

Herat has fewer returnees and is receiving relatively more assistance, 
as there are more international and national non-governmental 
organizations (NGOs) and UN agencies operating in the area.  A lack of 
coordination and planning between government agencies and international 
organizations working in the areas is hampering efforts to assist the 
refugees.  Only the UNHCR in Farah has so far provided assistance to 
these refugees..


RESPONSE: Church World Service Pakistan/Afghanistan is monitoring the 
situation in cooperation with other members of the Action by Churches 
Together (ACT) forum in Afghanistan and has sent a request for ACT rapid 
response funding for basic food and shelter relief items to be 
distributed through their local partner Afghan Development Association 
in the Farah and Nimroz provinces.

Please contact the CWS Emergency Response Program if you would like a 
more detailed appeal description.

For further information about disasters to which Church World Service is 
responding please visit www.churchworldservice.org or call the CWS 
Hotline, (800) 297-1516.

CWS Emergency Response Program special contacts: (212) 870-3151
Program Director: dderr@churchworldservice.org
International: flumeya@churchworldservice.org
Domestic: lreedbrown@churchworldservice.org

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