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U.N. readies for more displaced Afghans after troop withdrawal

World Materials 15 June 2021 05:56 (UTC +04:00)
U.N. readies for more displaced Afghans after troop withdrawal

The United Nations is preparing for a likely further displacement of civilians in Afghanistan after U.S. and international troops leave the country in September, U.N. refugee chief Filippo Grandi told Reuters on Monday, Trend reports citing Reuters.

Violence has been rising as foreign forces begin withdrawing and efforts to broker a peace settlement between the Afghan government and insurgent Taliban have slowed.

Grandi pointed to a deadly attack last week on an international demining organization in northern Afghanistan, which killed 10 people.

"This is a tragic indicator of the type of violence that may be resurfacing in Afghanistan and with the withdrawal of the international troops this is possibly or likely going to become worse," Grandi said.

"Therefore we are doing contingency planning inside the country for further displacement, in the neighboring countries in case people might cross borders," he said, without offering details of those plans.

There are currently some 2.5 million registered refugees from Afghanistan globally, while another 4.8 million have been displaced within the country, according to the U.N. refugee agency UNHCR, which Grandi heads.

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