Latest news with #refugees
Arab News
14 hours ago
- Arab News
Hundreds of Sudanese refugees in Cairo take up chance to return home for free
CAIRO: On a sweltering Monday morning at Cairo's main railway station, hundreds of Sudanese families stood waiting, with bags piled at their feet and children in tow, to board a train bound for a homeland shattered by two years of war is not yet over, but with the army having regained control of key areas and life in Egypt often hard, many refugees have decided now is the time to head home.'It's an indescribable feeling,' said Khadija Mohamed Ali, 45, seated inside one of the train's aging carriages, her five daughters lined beside her.'I'm happy that I'll see my neighbors again – my family, my street,' she said ahead of her return to the capital Khartoum, still reeling from a conflict that has killed tens of thousands and displaced more than 14 was among the second group of refugees traveling under Egypt's voluntary return program, which offers free transportation from Cairo to Khartoum, more than 2,000 kilometers away by train and first convoy left a week program is a joint effort between the Egyptian National Railways and Sudan's state-owned arms company Defense Industries System, which is covering the full cost of the journey, including tickets and onward bus travel from Egypt's southern city of Aswan to the Sudanese Sudanese army is keen for the refugees to return, in part to reinforce its control over recently recaptured areas and as a step toward Monday, a third-class, air-conditioned train departs Cairo carrying hundreds on a 12-hour journey to Aswan before they continue by bus across the precisely 11:30 am, a battered locomotive rumbled into the station and women broke into spontaneous while some Sudanese are returning home, many continue to flee their homeland, which has been ravaged by war and to a June report from the UN's refugee agency UNHCR, over 65,000 Sudanese crossed into Chad in just over a through Libya, one of the most dangerous routes to Europe, have increased this year, according to the Mixed Migration war, which began in April 2023, pits army chief Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan against his erstwhile ally Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, who leads the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF).The fighting first erupted in Khartoum and quickly spread, triggering one of the world's worst humanitarian crises, according to the United this year, Sudan's army declared it had fully retaken Khartoum. Since then, a trickle of returnees has week, the country's new prime minister, Kamil Idris, made his first visit to the capital since the conflict began, promising that 'national institutions will come back stronger than before.'The UN has predicted that more than two million people could return to greater Khartoum by the end of the year, though that figure depends heavily on improvements in security and public capital remains a fractured city. Its infrastructure has been decimated, health services remain scarce and electricity is still largely out in many districts.'Slowly things will become better,' said Maryam Ahmed Mohamed, 52, who plans to return to her home in Khartoum's twin city of Omdurman with her two daughters.'At least we'll be back at home and with our family and friends,' she many, the decision to return home is driven less by hope than by hardship in neighboring countries like now hosts an estimated 1.5 million Sudanese refugees, who have limited access to legal work, health care and education, according to the Mohamed, 34, fled Khartoum's Soba district with her family to Egypt 10 months ago when the area was liberated, but was in services remain nearly non-existent in Khartoum, Mohamed said she still wanted to leave Egypt and go home.'Life was too expensive here. I couldn't afford rent or school fees,' Mohamed Khalafallah, a mother of three who spent seven months in Egypt, also said she struggled to now returning to the central Al-Jazirah state, which was retaken by the army late last year and is seen as 'much safer and having better services than Khartoum.'According to the UN's International Organization for Migration, about 71 percent of returnees were heading to Al-Jazirah, southeast of the capital, while fewer than 10 percent were going to outside the Cairo station, dozens more were sitting on benches, hoping for standby tickets.'They told me the train was full,' said Maryam Abdullah, 32, who left Sudan two years ago with her six children.'But I'll wait. I just want to go back, rebuild my house, and send my children back to school,' she said.
Telegraph
16 hours ago
- Politics
- Telegraph
Police open fire on hungry refugees in Kenya as US aid cuts trigger food shortages
Police opened fire on hungry refugees in northern Kenya on Monday amid a worsening food crisis triggered by the abrupt withdrawal of US humanitarian funding. At least two people were reportedly killed after angry protesters attempted to storm a United Nations facility in Kakuma, a settlement housing more than 300,000 refugees. Aid workers have warned of a looming humanitarian crisis in Kenya's refugee camps after the UN's World Food Programme (WFP) was forced to slash rations when the Trump administration cut foreign aid. Until January, the United States funded 70 percent of WFP's programme feeding more in the Kakuma and Dadaab camps, which house more than 800,000 refugees who have fled conflict and natural disaster from more than a dozen countries in Africa and beyond. But shortly after Donald Trump's inauguration, the State department halted contributions, leaving WFP unable to provide more than 30 per cent of the minimum daily calories needed to stay healthy. Assistance is usually split between direct food aid and cash handouts, designed to give refugees choice and support small businesses in the camps. But ration cuts have left many families skipping meals, with child and adult malnutrition rising sharply. The crisis is most acute at Kalobeyei, an experimental settlement within Kakuma where more than 70,000 refugees relied almost entirely on cash transfers. Handouts stopped altogether at the end of June, collapsing local businesses and driving many into debt. Ironically, Monday's protest, which was centred on Kalobeyei, was sparked by news that the programme would resume – but only partially. Refugees were divided into four categories, with the most vulnerable receiving just £3-£6 a month, while the rest would get nothing. Hundreds gathered outside a WFP storage facility at dawn to denounce what they called 'differentiated assistance'. As crowds swelled, the protest turned violent, witnesses said. 'They broke down the doors and were attacking people with knives and stones,' said one refugee, injured by a rock and trapped inside with WFP staff. 'We managed to escape in WFP vehicles but a number of people were hurt.' Witnesses said demonstrators set fire to an empty warehouse before police opened fire, killing two people and wounding several others. Kenyan police and UN officials declined to comment on casualties but The Telegraph was able to confirm the death of one protester, shot in the back of the head. WFP said it was investigating. 'The World Food Programme (WFP) can confirm that a fire broke out at its storage facility in Kalobeyei Settlement in northern Kenya on Monday 28th July,' a WFP spokesperson said. 'WFP and the local authorities are looking into the circumstances surrounding this incident and assessing any damage or losses. 'WFP's priority is the safety and well-being of the people we serve, and our staff.'
Yahoo
19 hours ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Afghans show solidarity as migrant returns from Iran surge
At the border with Iran, Fatima Rezaei distributes food and hygiene products to Afghans forced to return, unable to passively stand by as the deportation crisis grows. The 22-year-old is one of many Afghan volunteers rallying to help their compatriots, despite having little themselves. Since the beginning of the year, more than 1.6 million Afghans, including many children, have returned after being deported or driven out of Iran, which accuses them of pushing up unemployment and crime. "It doesn't matter whether you have a lot of money or not. I don't have much, but with the help of Afghans here and abroad, we manage," said Rezaei. The number of crossings at the Islam Qala border has reached 30,000 on several days, peaking at 50,000 on July 4, according to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). In response, residents of the western region have mobilised, partly thanks to donations sent by Afghans living in Europe or North America. A journalist for a local television channel, Rezaei travels over 100 kilometres (62 miles) to reach the border from her hometown of Herat. From a stack of cardboard boxes, she distributes baby wipes and sanitary towels to women gathered under a tent and surrounded by around a dozen children. "It is our responsibility to stand by their side," she said. "The government tries to help, but it's not enough." International organisations are helping to register migrants but face massive budget cuts. Meanwhile, Taliban authorities struggle to support the influx of Afghans who have often left everything behind and returned to a country mired in poverty. - 'We have a duty' - Unemployed Hosna Salehi volunteers with her parents' charitable organisation, Khan-e-Meher, to distribute aid, such as infant formula. "Some women with young children tried to breastfeed but didn't have enough milk due to stress," she told AFP. "Our fellow Afghans need our support right now. We have a duty to give what we can, no matter if it is a little or a lot." The show of solidarity "makes us proud", said Ahmadullah Wassiq, director of Afghanistan's High Commission for Refugees. "The government cannot solve these problems alone," he acknowledged, "and the efforts of citizens must be applauded". The Taliban government says it provides money upon arrival and is establishing towns dedicated to returning Afghans, though it does not specify when they will be ready. In Herat, the nearest major city to the border, some in the most precarious circumstances have been living in parks in tents donated by residents. - 'Extended a hand' - Some said they were having to rebuild their lives after returning home. "The only thing we're worried about is finding work," said Hussein, 33, who spent more than 10 years in Iran. "There, they told us our papers were no longer valid. We had good jobs, now we need to find work and start from scratch," said the father-of-two, who was moved by the support he encountered on the Afghan side of the border. "They really helped us and extended a hand," he said as he waited for a free bus to take him the nearly 1,000 kilometres to the capital Kabul. In Afghanistan, where half the population of around 48 million lives below the poverty line according to the World Bank, "there isn't much of a culture of volunteering", said 27-year-old Omid Haqjoo, as he prepared food in vast cooking pots. "But we are trying to promote it... to provide the support that is missing," he added. After a day of heat in the humanitarian tents at Islam Qala, Salehi felt strengthened by a "life lesson". "If I was able to help volunteer, I think everyone can," she said. "And when I go home and think of all the fellow Afghans who smiled at me and prayed for me, that's enough for me." str-cgo/sw/ecl/jfx/lb Solve the daily Crossword
France 24
21 hours ago
- Politics
- France 24
Afghans show solidarity as migrant returns from Iran surge
The 22-year-old is one of many Afghan volunteers rallying to help their compatriots, despite having little themselves. Since the beginning of the year, more than 1.6 million Afghans, including many children, have returned after being deported or driven out of Iran, which accuses them of pushing up unemployment and crime. "It doesn't matter whether you have a lot of money or not. I don't have much, but with the help of Afghans here and abroad, we manage," said Rezaei. The number of crossings at the Islam Qala border has reached 30,000 on several days, peaking at 50,000 on July 4, according to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). In response, residents of the western region have mobilised, partly thanks to donations sent by Afghans living in Europe or North America. A journalist for a local television channel, Rezaei travels over 100 kilometres (62 miles) to reach the border from her hometown of Herat. From a stack of cardboard boxes, she distributes baby wipes and sanitary towels to women gathered under a tent and surrounded by around a dozen children. "It is our responsibility to stand by their side," she said. "The government tries to help, but it's not enough." International organisations are helping to register migrants but face massive budget cuts. Meanwhile, Taliban authorities struggle to support the influx of Afghans who have often left everything behind and returned to a country mired in poverty. 'We have a duty' Unemployed Hosna Salehi volunteers with her parents' charitable organisation, Khan-e-Meher, to distribute aid, such as infant formula. "Some women with young children tried to breastfeed but didn't have enough milk due to stress," she told AFP. "Our fellow Afghans need our support right now. We have a duty to give what we can, no matter if it is a little or a lot." The show of solidarity "makes us proud", said Ahmadullah Wassiq, director of Afghanistan's High Commission for Refugees. "The government cannot solve these problems alone," he acknowledged, "and the efforts of citizens must be applauded". The Taliban government says it provides money upon arrival and is establishing towns dedicated to returning Afghans, though it does not specify when they will be ready. In Herat, the nearest major city to the border, some in the most precarious circumstances have been living in parks in tents donated by residents. 'Extended a hand' Some said they were having to rebuild their lives after returning home. "The only thing we're worried about is finding work," said Hussein, 33, who spent more than 10 years in Iran. "There, they told us our papers were no longer valid. We had good jobs, now we need to find work and start from scratch," said the father-of-two, who was moved by the support he encountered on the Afghan side of the border. "They really helped us and extended a hand," he said as he waited for a free bus to take him the nearly 1,000 kilometres to the capital Kabul. In Afghanistan, where half the population of around 48 million lives below the poverty line according to the World Bank, "there isn't much of a culture of volunteering", said 27-year-old Omid Haqjoo, as he prepared food in vast cooking pots. "But we are trying to promote it... to provide the support that is missing," he added. After a day of heat in the humanitarian tents at Islam Qala, Salehi felt strengthened by a "life lesson". "If I was able to help volunteer, I think everyone can," she said. "And when I go home and think of all the fellow Afghans who smiled at me and prayed for me, that's enough for me." © 2025 AFP
Arab News
21 hours ago
- Politics
- Arab News
Afghans show solidarity as migrant returns from Iran surge
ISLAM QALA: At the border with Iran, Fatima Rezaei distributes food and hygiene products to Afghans forced to return, unable to passively stand by as the deportation crisis grows. The 22-year-old is one of many Afghan volunteers rallying to help their compatriots, despite having little themselves. Since the beginning of the year, more than 1.6 million Afghans, including many children, have returned after being deported or driven out of Iran, which accuses them of pushing up unemployment and crime. 'It doesn't matter whether you have a lot of money or not. I don't have much, but with the help of Afghans here and abroad, we manage,' said Rezaei. The number of crossings at the Islam Qala border has reached 30,000 on several days, peaking at 50,000 on July 4, according to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). In response, residents of the western region have mobilized, partly thanks to donations sent by Afghans living in Europe or North America. A journalist for a local television channel, Rezaei travels over 100 kilometers (62 miles) to reach the border from her hometown of Herat. From a stack of cardboard boxes, she distributes baby wipes and sanitary towels to women gathered under a tent and surrounded by around a dozen children. 'It is our responsibility to stand by their side,' she said. 'The government tries to help, but it's not enough.' International organizations are helping to register migrants but face massive budget cuts. Meanwhile, Taliban authorities struggle to support the influx of Afghans who have often left everything behind and returned to a country mired in poverty. Unemployed Hosna Salehi volunteers with her parents' charitable organization, Khan-e-Meher, to distribute aid, such as infant formula. 'Some women with young children tried to breastfeed but didn't have enough milk due to stress,' she told AFP. 'Our fellow Afghans need our support right now. We have a duty to give what we can, no matter if it is a little or a lot.' The show of solidarity 'makes us proud,' said Ahmadullah Wassiq, director of Afghanistan's High Commission for Refugees. 'The government cannot solve these problems alone,' he acknowledged, 'and the efforts of citizens must be applauded.' The Taliban government says it provides money upon arrival and is establishing towns dedicated to returning Afghans, though it does not specify when they will be ready. In Herat, the nearest major city to the border, some in the most precarious circumstances have been living in parks in tents donated by residents. Some said they were having to rebuild their lives after returning home. 'The only thing we're worried about is finding work,' said Hussein, 33, who spent more than 10 years in Iran. 'There, they told us our papers were no longer valid. We had good jobs, now we need to find work and start from scratch,' said the father-of-two, who was moved by the support he encountered on the Afghan side of the border. 'They really helped us and extended a hand,' he said as he waited for a free bus to take him the nearly 1,000 kilometers to the capital Kabul. In Afghanistan, where half the population of around 48 million lives below the poverty line according to the World Bank, 'there isn't much of a culture of volunteering,' said 27-year-old Omid Haqjoo, as he prepared food in vast cooking pots. 'But we are trying to promote it... to provide the support that is missing,' he added. After a day of heat in the humanitarian tents at Islam Qala, Salehi felt strengthened by a 'life lesson.' 'If I was able to help volunteer, I think everyone can,' she said. 'And when I go home and think of all the fellow Afghans who smiled at me and prayed for me, that's enough for me.'
