16,663 Afghan refugees return home within week: UN agency

KABUL –About 16,633 Afghan refugees had returned or been deported from neighboring Pakistan and Iran to Afghanistan during the period of Sept. 9-14, the UN migration agency IOM reported Wednesday. 

A total of 969 undocumented Afghans returned from Pakistan, making an increase of 8 percent compared to the previous week when 895 were registered after entering their homeland, said IOM in a statement. 

Meanwhile, 15,664 Afghans had reportedly arrived over the period from Iran, 10 percent more than the previous week, according to the statement. 

The IOM has provided post-arrival humanitarian assistance, including food and non-food items to 1,333 returnees.More than 561,000 Afghan refugees have returned to the poverty-stricken country from the two neighboring states since Jan. 1 this year. Enditem 
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