The two Iranian-run refugee camps in Afghanistan will stay open until at least mid-April, a UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) official said on Sunday.
The camps, home to an estimated 11,000 refugees since last year's outbreak of the US-led war on Osama bin Laden’s al-Qaeda network and Afghanistan's Taliban regime, were slated to close at the end of March, but will now remain open until at least April 15th, the official told AFP, on condition of anonymity.
The camps, Makaki and Mile 46, are situated in the Nimruz province, close to Iran's southeastern border with Afghanistan.
Other humanitarian agencies have complained about the camps' imminent shutdown.
The French organization Doctors Without Borders expressed its concern about contingency plans for the refugees.
"We are worried. There must be choices offered to these people, so that they have adequate transportation for returning home and an alternative is found for those who are worried about their security," said Bruno Jochum, the group's representative in Iran.
Iran, which hosts around 2.3 million Afghan refugees, plans their repatriation at a rate of between 400,000 and 500,000 per year starting in April. (Albawaba.com)
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