[Afghanistan] - Health services to be expanded urgently for return refugees at Torkham border

INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
Afghanistan's health ministry said Tuesday it is expanding health services at Torkham in Nangarhar to handle the growing number of returning
refugees from Pakistan.According to a statement issued by the ministry, a coordination meeting was recently held to talk about the expansion
of health services.The conference was chaired by Mawlawi Aminullah Sharif, Director of Public Health in Nangarhar Province, and attended by
agents from various organizations consisting of the World Health Organization (WHO), UNICEF, and other partners.The conference focused on
enhancing emergency situation preparedness and response, enhancing health care assistance for returnees, and resolving existing operational
challenges, the statement read.Officials highlighted the immediate requirement to enhance health service shipment in action to the growing
number of returning citizens.As a crucial result, individuals accepted increase the number of health facilities and medical staff at the
border
This decision aims to make sure timely access to healthcare for all returnees and to much better handle the health-related pressures brought
on by the continuous influx.Tens of countless Afghans are dealing with alarming conditions in makeshift camps after crossing the border from
Pakistan, an Islamic Relief assessment team reported on Monday
Many are arriving in Afghanistan with no shelter, food, cash or water, and families informed us they had to leave all their belongings --
consisting of animals and household utensils -- behind as they can not pay for to bring them, Islamic Relief stated in the report.Ramin
Sadat from Islamic Relief became part of an evaluation group at the Torkham border crossing in eastern Afghanistan
He stated this new age of returning refugees is unlike anything I've seen before
Individuals arrive in droves, covered in dust, crammed onto trucks, and facing a barren border with no standard services in sight
The first thing that greets them is a harsh, windy storm swirling with dust
Tens of thousands of households are anticipated to show up in the coming days and months, in the wake of the Pakistan government's
announcement that all undocumented individuals and holders of Afghan Citizen Cards (ACC) should leave the country by 31 March 2025 or face
deportation.Since 1 April a minimum of 44,900 people have returned, with around 58% of them children, according to the UN Refugee Agency
(UNHCR)
The post Health services to be broadened urgently for return refugees at Torkham border initially appeared on TINS News.