PAKISTAN: Refugee camps along tribal belt closing

[ This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations]

ISLAMABAD, 1 Sep 2005 (IRIN) - Pakistani authorities on Wednesday announced the closure of 32 Afghan refugee camps in the western tribal belt. The camps were originally established for Afghans fleeing the Soviet invasion over 25 years ago.

"Basic services like health would continue on a limited basis for those preparing for repatriation and making other logistical arrangements," said Imran Zeb, head of the Chief Commissionerate for Afghan Refugees (CCAR), the state body dealing with Afghan refugees, speaking from the capital, Islamabad.

Early in August, Islamabad said it intended to close more than 30 refugee camps located in Kurram and Bajaur agencies in the western Federally Administered Tribal Area (FATA) composed of seven tribal agencies bordering Afghanistan.

According to the office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in Islamabad, of the total Afghan population of 105,000 living in the two agencies, over 65,000 had already repatriated as of Wednesday, taking advantage of the refugee agency's resettlement programme.

"About 55,000 Afghans have returned from Kurram agency with another 10,000 from Bajaur Agency as of today, under the UNHCR's voluntary repatriation programme," UNHCR spokesman in Pakistan, Jack Redden, said. "Many refugees are still approaching UNHCR for assistance, so we'll continue the operation over the next few days, until all the Afghans wishing to avail themselves of the agency's assistance are processed," he added.

Under UNHCR's standard assistance package, Afghan returnees are entitled to a travel grant ranging from US $3 to $30 per person depending on the distance they need to travel within Afghanistan to return to their homes. They are also given an additional $12 per person to help them settle.

The UN refugee agency has assisted more than 2.5 million Afghans to repatriate from Pakistan since the voluntary repatriation programme started in 2002, including over 293,000 so far this year.

The process of closing the camps first established 25 years ago, started with the refugee camps of South Waziristan agency in June 2004 and ended in North Waziristan in June this year.

"Beyond this, now the UNHCR does not have any other regular formal refugee facility within its supervision across the tribal belt," Redden said.

[ENDS]