Up to 5K Afghans crossing into Iran every day, aid group says

Up to 5,000 Afghans are crossing into Iran every day, the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) said.

Between 4,000 and 5,000 have crossed into Iran every day since the Taliban took over Afghanistan, the aid group said Wednesday, Reuters reported.

Since the takeover of Afghanistan by the Taliban in August, 300,000 Afghans have gone to Iran to escape the group.

“We commend Iran for welcoming and hosting millions of displaced Afghans for the past four decades. But now the international community must step up to support Afghanistan’s neighbours,” NRC Secretary General Jan Egeland said.

Egeland called for more aid to Afghanistan and surrounding countries such as Iran who have taken in refugees, according to Reuters. 

“Iran cannot be expected to host so many Afghans with so little support from the international community,” Egeland said in a statement. “There must be an immediate scale up of aid both inside Afghanistan and in neighbouring countries like Iran, before the deadly winter cold.”

International support was pulled from Afghanistan after the Taliban took over as Afghans stuck in the country are still facing an humanitarian crisis with millions confronted with acute food insecurity. 

Many Afghans escaped the country during the chaotic withdrawal of the U.S. and other countries, but some were left behind.

The Taliban has been working to establish its government, recently appointing 44 members to local government roles.