Islamabad (TDI): The Chief Commissioner for Afghan Refugees (CCAR) has said that approximately 2.9 million Afghan refugees are in Pakistan, including 0.7 million unregistered individuals and 1.4 million registered one.
The official, during a session of the Senate Standing Committee on States and Frontier Regions (Safron) under the chairmanship of Senator Jan Muhammad Buledi, briefed the panel on the humanitarian aid being provided to Afghan refugees in the country, covering areas such as shelter, food, water, sanitation, education, and healthcare.
The Senate body was further informed that 40 million dollars were disbursed to the Government of Pakistan for technically backing the National Database and Registration Authority (Nadra), the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA), passports, for capacity building, and awareness drives for Afghan refugees.
While 10 million dollars have been allocated to Safron for technical help.
The committee was briefed on the trends in voluntary repatriation, noting that the period from 2002 to 2024 has witnessed the highest levels of repatriation until now.
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It was noted that Afghan refugee students are provided with fourteen reserved seats in colleges and universities, along with free healthcare services in hospitals.
Moreover, the Senate body was apprised that three organisations — United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, German Agency for International Cooperation, and Japan International Cooperation Agency— were collaborating with the CCAR in the fields of technical and social help for Afghan refugees.
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Also, the Safron representatives shared challenges they face, highlighting the decreasing trajectory supporting funds from global organizations, which they view as a major barrier.
