TNAG-1066-FCO40-1316-Human-rights-in-Hong-Kong-1981 — Page 190

E/CN.4/1503

Annex II page 7

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19. Since Soviet troops entered Kabul in support of Karmal, a further two million Afghans have sought refuge in Pakistan, according to figures supplied by Islamabad - a high proportion of them women, children and older men. The Governments of Afghanistan and the Soviet Union have charged that these exiles have, with foreign assistance, fuelled disruption and subvers- ive activities in their homeland.

20. Just over three quarters of the refugees cross into the North West Frontier Province, the remainder going mainly to Baluchistan. Numbers registered by the government have been reported as follows: 31 December 1979: 400 000 (rounded figure); 30 June 1980: 1 026 224; 31 December 1980: 1 399 215; 30 June 1981: 2 265 859; 31 December 1981: 2 375 325. The presence along the border on land belonging to local peasants of such high numbers of asylum seekers, for the most part rural dwellers of many different tribes with their camels, sheep and goats, has posed some intractable problems.

21. The Government of Pakistan first informed UNHCR of the presence of Afghan refugees in April 1979, requesting the Office to initiate an assistance programme. Since then, UNHCR and WFP have mounted a programme, actively supported by UNICEF and WHO, so far valued at $ 250 million. This figure does not take into account the financial burden borne by Pakistan (estimated by Islamabad to be as high as $ 160 million in 1981), nor

nor the considerable inputs of non-governmental organ- izations such as ICRC, the League of Red Cross Societies, the World Council of Churches and many others amounting to some $ 18 million.

22. All but some workers who have sought work in cities are temporarily settled in designated refugee villages. For them, only relief assistance can be envisaged until the situ- ation in Afghanistan is conducive to a voluntary return. As the High Commissioner reported in October 1981 to his Executive Committee, some assistance is provided towards income-generating projects and skills training. For the rest, the Government of Pakistan, which created an Office of the Chief Commissioner for Afghan refugees in October 1980 to handle the administration of relief assistance, continues to bear the burden of a mass infux from a neighbour whose government

government it does not recognize.

has