Some 2.7 million Afghans live as refugees abroad. Their future depends on solidarity and action today. This month marks 40 years since the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan. Since December 1979, almost unending waves of conflict and violence have forced successive generations of Afghan men, women and ...

UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, urges greater support to Afghanistan, Pakistan and Iran in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, warning that leaving Afghans and their host communities behind will have a far-reaching and negative impact on global efforts to fight the virus. The coronavirus poses a ve...

With COVID-19 raging in many parts of the world, UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, is warning about shortages of vaccines in the Asia-Pacific region, including for refugees and asylum-seekers. We urge immediate and stronger support for the COVAX initiative, a worldwide effort aimed at achieving equit...

UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, is calling for greater support from the international community for Afghanistan’s people, including those displaced within its borders and refugees seeking safety outside the country. The appeal comes at the end of a four-day visit by UNHCR’s Assistant High Commissio...

UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, welcomes the Government of the Islamic Republic of Iran’s recent move to formalize access to banking services – including debit cards, for Afghan refugees in the country. Before the new policy was announced, banks around the country followed different practices, whic...

UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, is warning of a looming humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan as the escalating conflict brings increased human suffering and civilian displacement. An estimated 270,000 Afghans have been newly displaced inside the country since January 2021 – primarily due to insecurit...

Pakistan’s National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) issued today the first new biometric identity smartcards to Afghan refugees registered in the country. The new Proof of Registration (PoR) cards are legally recognized proof of identity and include enhanced security features. This...

In Quetta, Pakistan, Nida and her fellow trainees are gaining vocational skills, equipping them to take advantage of new livelihoods opportunities.

Haji Gada Muhammed sits on a cushion in a splendid white parahan tunban, a traditional Afghan long-shirt and loosely plaited trousers made of linen.

Doctor Saleema Rehman is the regional winner for Asia for UNHCR’s annual Nansen Refugee Award for her dedication to promoting girls’ education in her community and for her contribution to Pakistan’s COVID-19 response.