HC Deb 26 January 2004 vol 417 cc17-8W
Joan Ruddock

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many refugees have returned to Afghanistan from refugee camps in(a) Iran and (b) Pakistan; and how many remain. [150648]

Hilary Benn

At the beginning of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR's) repatriation programme in April 2002, UNHCR's estimate of the Afghan refugee caseload in Iran was 1.5 million. Since then, over 500,000 people have returned to Afghanistan. Only five per cent. of these are believed to have originated in camps.

In Pakistan, the refugee caseload was estimated at 3.5 million in March 2002. Over 1.5 million were repatriated in 2002 and over 300,000 returned in 2003. The bulk of returnees so far, has consisted of refugees living in urban areas rather than camps. The 1.5 million remaining in Pakistan almost all live in camps.

Joan Ruddock

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many Afghans in refugee camps belong to women-headed households. [150649]

Hilary Benn

The United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) as yet have no specific figures for the number of Afghans in refugee camps belonging to women-headed households. The most detailed information they can currently offer is that approximately 50 to 60 per cent. of refugees in camps in Pakistan are women and that five to 10 per cent. of these are of adult age. In Iran, only five per cent. of refugees live in camps, and of these, only 38 per cent. are women.

UNHCR, however, anticipate that more detailed information will become available over the next year. Elections in Afghanistan are planned for June 2004 and UNHCR is currently discussing ways to carry out voter registration for Afghan refugees with the Government of Pakistan and the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA). This should start to shed more light on the make-up of the refugee population. UNHCR also has plans for a separate census, which the Government of Pakistan have asked them to carry out in order to get a better picture of the remaining refugee caseload in Pakistan. It is expected that this will be carried out after voter registration of refugees to avoid confusion. UNHCR believes this will provide an insight, among other things, into the number of women-headed households and their dependents.