MSF Warns Afghan Refugee Expulsions from Pakistan Spark Winter Humanitarian Crisis

Doctors Without Borders warns that mass Afghan refugee expulsions from Pakistan are creating a severe winter humanitarian crisis, putting children, women, and families at risk.

Doctors Without Borders (MSF) has warned that the large-scale expulsion of Afghan refugees from Pakistan is creating a serious humanitarian crisis, particularly during the harsh winter months, endangering the lives of children, women, and families.

The organization said in a report released Wednesday, January 7, that many of the expelled refugees are being kept in temporary camps without proper shelter, and access to healthcare, clean water, and food remains extremely limited.

The report added that the forced deportations affect undocumented migrants, holders of Afghan citizenship cards, and temporary registration cards (POC), making conditions increasingly dangerous as winter intensifies across the region.

Xu Weibing, head of MSF’s mission in Pakistan, said Afghan families are caught between living in fear of deportation and returning to Afghanistan, urging the international community to provide immediate humanitarian and protective assistance.

Pakistan hosts one of the largest populations of Afghan refugees in the world, many of whom have lived in the country for decades. Previous repatriation efforts during winter have been criticized for lacking proper support systems, leaving vulnerable populations at risk.

According to UN agencies, Afghan refugees already face chronic challenges including limited access to healthcare, malnutrition, and overcrowded shelters, conditions that are significantly worsened during extreme winter weather.

MSF emphasized that without adequate shelter, medical care, and food, the winter season becomes a silent killer for Afghan refugees, threatening the survival of many vulnerable individuals.

Humanitarian experts have called for urgent international action, including temporary protection measures, emergency aid, and winterized shelter provisions, to prevent further loss of life among Afghan refugees in Pakistan.

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