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More than 400,000 Afghan refugees returned home so far this year

IRNA

Tehran, Aug 27, IRNA -- More than 400,000 Afghan refugees have 
returned home so far this year, bringing the number of returnees to 
more than 2.32 million since organized repatriation began in March 
2002, about half the estimated total of those in Pakistan and Iran, 
the two principal asylum countries, the UN refugee agency announced 
yesterday. 
Quoting Kris Janowski, a spokesman for the UN High Commissioner 
for Refugees (UNHCR), a press release issued by the United Nations 
Information Center here on Wednesday said although well below the 
annual of last year`s unprecedented return of 1.8 million refugees, 
this year`s total number is likely to rise significantly by the end of
the repatriation season. 
The success of this still massive repatriation has been marred by 
a spate of recent attacks that have killed aid workers and injured 
many Afghans, hindering the delivery of relief aid to some parts of 
the country, Janowski said at a news briefing in Geneva. 
"Our office in Kunar province remains closed following a rocket 
attack two weeks ago in which a missile landed less than 400 meters 
from the premises," he added. 
Aid workers operating in Afghanistan`s southern and southeastern 
provinces must observe strict security guidelines following numerous 
security incidents over the last year. Kandahar and the neighboring 
Hilmand province have been the scene of several security incidents 
involving aid workers in recent weeks. 
/AH/210 
End