UNHCR increases planned repatriation figures to 850,000

Despite serious funding concerns, as the number of Afghans wanting to return to their homeland from Pakistan intensifies, UNHCR has had not choice but to revise this year's original planning figures to an ambitious 850,000. The joint voluntary repatriation programme between Islamabad and the UN refugee agency had originally called for up to 400,000 Afghan refugees to return this year.

"Our new planning figures are 850,000," UNHCR spokeswoman, Melita Sunjic told IRIN in the Pakistani capital Islamabad on Monday. "Based on the speed of returns and our previous experience, this figure could indeed become an actuality," she explained.

Sunjic's comments follow Saturday's landmark turning point for the programme when the half million mark was reached and quickly surpassed - already well beyond the expectations of original estimates. On Sunday, a total of 513,808 Afghans had returned to Afghanistan since the programme began on 1 March. As part of the assistance package, returnees are provided with food and non-food related assistance, as well as a small monetary grant.

UNHCR currently maintains six voluntary repatriation centres (VRCs) throughout Pakistan where refugees can register for the assistance programme. In addition to the three VRCs in the country's North West Frontier Province (NWFP), one in the western province of Baluchistan and another in the eastern Sindh province, the refugee agency has mobile registration teams working throughout the country that can be dispatched at any time. "This is done on a needs basis," Sunjic explained, adding such teams could be sent wherever there was a strong desire to return.

However, in a statement on Monday, UNHCR said the return movement had been much swifter than expected. Indeed, on 1 April, a record 16,068 repatriated in one day alone. While the refugee agency had anticipated some 400,000 Afghans to return from Pakistan during the whole of 2002, that figure had been surpassed more than a month ago.

Calling Saturday's half million mark a "historical ground swell", UNHCR representative in Pakistan, Hasim Utkan reaffirmed his call for further assistance from the international community. "If the refugees believe in their country's future, we expect the donors to financially support this impressive vote of confidence," he maintained.

"What we need now is funds both to continue the repatriation operation smoothly and to start reintegration and rehabilitation in Afghanistan, so the returnees can start to rebuild their lives immediately and do not lose faith," he added.

But that faith is sorely being tested. As of Wednesday, of the US $271 million UNHCR needs for the programme over the 15 months ending in December 2002, only US $171 had been received. And with operational costs of US $20 million a month, the momentum and enthusiasm of the programme could come quickly to a grinding halt, impeding what many deem as a critical component of the country's reconstruction process.

Commenting on the feasibility of the new planning figure, now more than double what was originally planned for, Sunjic was resolute. "People are going to return irregardless of the funding. The question now is whether we can support this process or not," she exclaimed.

According to Utkan, the massive operation, now in its third month, has run smoothly and without major incident due to the commitment of staff and the discipline of the returnees. Expressing his gratitude to the people and Government of Pakistan, he remarked: "Pakistan has hosted millions of Afghan refugees over more than two decades. This is an act of humanitarianism and hospitality that is an example to many a richer asylum country."

Prior to the massive repatriation effort now underway, the United Nations estimated that there were over a two million Afghan refugees in the South Asian country.