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First Afghan DPs

convoy leaves

for home

PESHAWAR: The first major repatriation of Afghan refugees from Pakistan in the year 2000, took place when some 465 Afghans left for Ningarhar province of Afghanistan, Monday.

The convoy left for the village of Ambar Khana in Batikot District, situated in the Eastern Afghanistan province of Ningarhar. A second group of 350 is expected to follow on March 29.

The refugees arrived at Teddy Bazar in the morning. After verification, the refugee convoy moved towards Torkham border which was accompanied by UNHCR Pakistan staff. At the border the convoy was welcomed by the staff of UNCHR's office in Jalalabad. They will be facilitated in repatriating to their village of origin after their arrival.

Since January, more than 3,000 refugees have returned to Afghanistan, (bringing the number of Afghans who have repatriated from Pakistan since 1990, to more than two and half million). The refugees are returning to relatively peaceful areas in the central, eastern and southern regions of Afghanistan.

UNHCR's offices in Kabul, Jalalabad, Kandahar, Herat and Mazar-i-Sharif, will monitor, the rights of the returnees, as enshrined in the declarations of amnesties.ÑAPP