Humanitarianism in a changing world*

Analysis: Why the aid drawdown in Afghanistan could be a good thing

PASHTUN KOT, 26 March 2012 (IRIN) - One hillside in Pashtun Kot District in the northern Afghan province of Faryab stands out. Dotted with graves, it is the final resting place for the victims of underdevelopment: Villagers travel from far-off mountains by donkey to bury their dead here - people whose demise was hastened by chronic hunger, undernutrition and lack of access to health care. full report

In Brief: Avalanches kill 37 in Afghanistan

KABUL, 6 March 2012 (IRIN) - Avalanches killed 37 people and injured six in a remote part of the northeastern Afghan governorate of Badakshan on 5 March, according to Abdul Marouf Rasekh, a spokesperson for Badakhshan’s governor. full report

AFGHANISTAN: Towards more sustainable solutions for returnees

JALALABAD/SARACHA, 27 February 2012 (IRIN) - Baswra squats on a dirty street corner in the eastern Afghan city of Jalalabad, watching fellow Afghans walk by with packages of assistance from aid agencies. When the door to the distribution site opens, she throws herself at it, waving documents in the face of anyone who will hear her story. full report

AFGHANISTAN-PAKISTAN: More Afghans crossing into Pakistan?

QUETTA, 27 February 2012 (IRIN) - In a tiny flat they have rented in Quetta, capital of Pakistan’s southwestern province of Balochistan, bordering Afghanistan, Zarnab Bibi and her husband Aziz Khan* wait patiently for the phone to ring. full report

AFGHANISTAN-PAKISTAN: Timeline of Afghan displacements into Pakistan

PESHAWAR, 27 February 2012 (IRIN) - A new push to find durable solutions for Afghan refugees faces many challenges, including the continued flow of Afghans into Pakistan and questions around Pakistan’s willingness to continue hosting them. As the government of Afghanistan and the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) look for endorsement of an ambitious new strategy, they are wrestling with decades of displacement in what has become the world’s most protracted refugee crisis. Here is a timeline: full report

AFGHANISTAN-PAKISTAN: From pillar to post - the plight of Afghans abroad

KABUL, 27 February 2012 (IRIN) - The government of Afghanistan and the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) are seeking endorsement of a new strategy which aims to provide sustainable solutions to the largest and most protracted refugee crisis in the world. full report

AFGHANISTAN: Bracing for mass evictions from Pakistan

JALALABAD, 27 February 2012 (IRIN) - The Afghan government and international aid workers are bracing for an imminent deportation from Pakistan of thousands of Afghan migrants and unregistered refugees - a move they warn could be destabilizing for the fragile country. full report

AFGHANISTAN-IRAN: Mehdi, “My hands were hurting because the handcuffs were too tight”

ISLAM QALA, 27 February 2012 (IRIN) - In an attempt to find long-term solutions for the estimated 1.4 million unregistered Afghans living within its borders, Iran adopted a legalization scheme last year that paved the way for Afghans to enter Iran legally with work visas. full report

AFGHANISTAN: Increased pressure on refugees to leave Pakistan

JALALABAD, 27 February 2012 (IRIN) - The Pakistani army and intelligence service are increasingly harassing Afghan migrants and refugees living in Pakistan’s tribal border area, in an attempt to drive them out of the country, Afghans who recently returned to Afghanistan told IRIN. full report