ISLAMABAD, June 19: The United Nations refugee agency on Wednesday said it was “not encouraging” Afghans to return home because many parts of the country were unsafe, unclean and lacked enough food.

UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) spokesman Peter Kessler said the million Afghans who have returned home since March were facing a fresh crisis with the embattled nation now “dropping off the relief agenda”.

“This has been an unprecedented repatriation despite the fact that we’re not encouraging Afghans to return home,” Kessler told AFP by telephone from Shelman camp near the Khyber Pass.

“We think the situation is still too precarious in parts of the country both due to security and land mines and also the lack of food and basic services in many areas.

“The number of people returning home has completely exceeded expectations. In Afghanistan there is widespread poverty throughout the country and it’s important that development agencies kick in as soon as possible to ensure there are basic services for the millions of people on the ground.”

A flood of refugees has been pouring back into Afghanistan every day since UNHCR repatriations began in March, with 940,000 returning from Pakistan alone. There are an estimated 3.7 million Afghans still sheltering abroad with around two million thought to be in Pakistan.

But Kessler said returning Afghan refugees faced an uncertain future if they decide to head home.

“We never encourage people to be refugees, but we think the situation is extremely precarious in Afghanistan,” he said.

“The ISAF (International Security Assistance Force) has done a great job in Kabul but there are still security problems in many parts of the country.

“There are also landmines and less food is available than six months ago.”

He urged international donors to keep up their support of Afghanistan before the tide of returning refugees turns back.

“Afghanistan is dropping off the relief agenda,” he said. “Donors can’t let that happen. They need to make sure there is not only relief aid but development aid and that is not happening.

“Perhaps people have been waiting for the results of the Loya Jirga but the tens of millions of Afghans need to see results.

“They need to see progress on the ground in basic services like clean water, like healthcare, like food and jobs.”

The Loya Jirga is currently meeting in Kabul to thrash out a new transitional government for Afghanistan ahead of full elections in 2004.

The UNHCR warned that aid was drying up earlier this month although the European Commission said on Monday it would release 9.25 million euros (8.7 million dollars) for returning Afghan refugees.

The money will be used for transport, food and basic supplies and should also go towards training teachers and providing shelter and medical care.—AFP