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UNHCR warns of extreme hardship for forcibly displaced families this winter
Millions of people from Ukraine, Afghanistan and across the Middle East displaced by conflict or persecution could face a perilous winter as freezing temperatures add to the misery already induced by spiraling prices, the lingering impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and extreme weather linked to the climate crisis, UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, warned Friday.
UNHCR spokesperson Olga Sarrado, said at a press briefing in Geneva that for many of the world’s forcibly displaced, this coming winter will be far more challenging than in recent years. Many displaced families will have no option but to choose between food and warmth as they struggle to heat their shelters, source warm clothing, and cook hot meals.
Across the Middle East, many displaced Syrians and Iraqis will have to contend with extreme cold and snowstorms once again while millions of Ukrainians uprooted from their homes by the current war are facing winter in displacement or are living in damaged homes or in buildings ill-suited to protect them from the biting cold.
Sarrado said that in Afghanistan, where winter temperatures can easily plunge to -25 degrees Celsius across parts of the country, many displaced and conflict-affected families will be left exposed to the elements.
This comes amid a steep economic decline, and only months after June’s earthquake in south-eastern Paktika and Khost provinces, in which thousands of people experienced devastating loss and damage to their homes.
She said amid an ongoing effort to contain a humanitarian catastrophe, flash flooding and drought also continue to wreak havoc on lives, property and livelihoods, while some regions of Afghanistan continue to report new displacement.
Despite worsening humanitarian needs, the funding outlook for life-saving aid programmes and assistance remains bleak, Sarrado said adding that owing to funding shortfalls, UNHCR has recently been forced to scale back essential programmes in several countries.
UNHCR has launched a global winter fundraising campaign to help forcibly displaced families in the above-mentioned operations meet their most urgent needs during the coldest months of the year, she said.
Funding will help provide those uprooted with warm winter clothing, thermal blankets, home repairs, solar panels and lamps, gas cylinders and cash assistance to cover other essential winter needs, including heating.
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Pakistan to repatriate nearly 20,000 Afghans awaiting US resettlement
Authorities will also share verified data of the affected individuals with relevant departments to support implementation.
Pakistan will repatriate nearly 20,000 Afghan nationals currently awaiting resettlement in the United States, The Nation reported, citing official sources.
The move affects 19,973 Afghans living across Pakistan.
A federal directive will instruct provincial chief secretaries and police chiefs in Punjab, Sindh, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Balochistan, Azad Kashmir, Gilgit-Baltistan, and the Islamabad Capital Territory to begin the repatriation process immediately.
Authorities will also share verified data of the affected individuals with relevant departments to support implementation.
Following the Islamic Emirate’s return to power in 2021, more than 100,000 Afghans fled to Pakistan, many of whom had worked with the US and UK governments, international organizations, or aid agencies.
Thousands have remained stranded in Pakistan for over four years while awaiting US resettlement clearance.
Prospects for relocation have dimmed amid a suspension of case processing by the US administration, according to The Nation.
Under Pakistan’s Illegal Foreigners Repatriation Plan (IFRP), all Afghan nationals still awaiting US relocation will now be returned to Afghanistan.
Terrorist activities continue to be observed along Afghanistan borders and along the India–Pakistan–Afghanistan corridor, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said in an interview published on Monday.
Speaking to Russia-based media outlet TV BRICS, Lavrov pointed to ongoing concerns in the Middle East, including its Asian regions.
He highlighted the importance of collaboration with India at the United Nations to advance a global counter-terrorism convention.
Lavrov stated that while the draft convention has already been prepared, consensus on its adoption has not yet been reached.
Russia has repeatedly expressed concern about militant threats from Afghanistan. The Islamic Emirate, however, has dismissed the concerns saying that it will not allow Afghanistan’s soil to be used against any country.
Noorullah Noori, Afghanistan’s Minister of Borders and Tribal Affairs, held a phone conversation with Kazem Gharibabadi, Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister for Legal and International Affairs, to discuss bilateral border cooperation.
According to the Iranian news agency IRNA, both sides reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening border collaboration, with a particular focus on the ongoing renovation and updating of border markers. They also agreed to accelerate joint technical and legal meetings to enhance coordination.
As part of the agreement, the next meeting of senior border officials from Afghanistan and Iran is scheduled to take place in Iran in 1405 (2026–2027).
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