Afghanistan crisis: UNHCR claims 'Taliban takeover could see half a million migrate'

The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) said on Saturday that due to the political uncertainty after the takeover of Afghanistan by the Taliban, an estimated 500,000 Afghans will be migrating out of the national borders within the next quarter of a year. As per the UNHCR, mass migration has been difficult but the situation continues to evolve at the ground level and that will allow a lot of people to leave the country. The latest developments were reported by Tolo News.

Deputy High Commissioner of the UNHCR Kelly T Clements said, "While we have not seen large outflows of Afghans at this point, the situation inside Afghanistan has evolved more rapidly than anyone expected." The organisation has even requested the neighbouring nations to allow the influx of Afghan refugees. International organisations are rushing for the aid of Afghanis as the World Food Programme (WFP) asked the United Nations to allocate a budget of $12 million to be able to provide food for the war-struck people of Afghanistan.

Why are people leaving the country?

According to the country's locals, the extreme political situation of Afghanistan, high unemployment rates and lack of security for women are the main concerns of the migrating Afghani refugees. Habibuallah is an Afghani, who is desperately waiting outside the Kabul airport along with the family to find a way out of the country. Habibuallah said, “I worked for four years with the foreigners, but now I am jobless. I heard rumours that the Taliban are searching houses for people who worked with foreigners and killing them. I have to leave the country." Habibuallah’s son said, "Unemployment and security threats have forced us to leave the country to save our lives."

The Afghan women are facing a future with no security. Even though the Taliban promised to honour women, their words are taken for granted considering their track record. Over the past two decades, women have grown within the Afghan community and gained education to reach important positions in the country. Due to this, they feel that have a target on their heads as the Taliban will try and suppress them just as they did earlier.

(With ANI inputs)

(Image: AP)