Final Refuge Seen in Capital Kabul
UN Urges Afghan Neighboring Countries to "Open Borders"
[Asia Economy Reporter Jin-ho Kim] Following the U.S. military withdrawal decision, the expansion of influence by the Afghan armed rebel group Taliban has caused millions of refugees. This year alone, the number of Afghans fleeing reaches 400,000.
The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) announced on the 13th (local time) that since the end of May, about 250,000 Afghans have fled, with 80% of them being women or children.
According to UNHCR, including these individuals, the estimated number of Afghans who have abandoned their homes and fled this year is approximately 400,000. Consequently, the total number of refugees within Afghanistan is about 3.2 million.
Refugees inside Afghanistan are gathering in the capital Kabul, where security is relatively stable. According to the British BBC, thousands of refugees within Afghanistan have recently fled to Kabul.
The non-governmental organization (NGO) Save the Children also reported that in the past few days, 15,000 to 20,000 households have fled to Kabul.
The armed group Taliban has currently expanded its influence up to the outskirts of Kabul. There are concerned forecasts that even Kabul may soon fall under Taliban control.
If the Taliban takes control of Kabul, refugees will likely have to leave their homeland. Already, 1.4 million registered Afghan refugees are in Pakistan, which shares a border with Afghanistan. Including unregistered refugees, the number of Afghan refugees in Pakistan is estimated to be close to 3 million.
Accordingly, UNHCR has urged neighboring countries not to close their borders but to keep them open, considering the deepening crisis in Afghanistan.
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