The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has announced that, among 19 Afghan nationals who disappeared in Nimroz Province while attempting to travel to Iran through illegal smuggling routes, the deaths of five people have been confirmed, while search operations for the remaining 14 individuals are still underway.
The UNHCR Afghanistan office expressed its condolences to the families of the victims in a statement and said that, in cooperation with its partners, it is providing emergency assistance to the affected families.
According to local officials and relatives of the missing individuals, the 19-member group disappeared in the deserts of Nimroz while attempting an irregular journey toward Iran. Officials say their vehicle broke down along the way, and afterward, due to severe dust storms and harsh weather conditions, the travelers became separated from one another. So far, search teams have recovered the bodies of five people, while the fate of the remaining 14 remains unknown.
UNHCR described the incident as a tragic example of the heavy human cost of dangerous irregular migration journeys, emphasizing the need to provide people with safe and legal pathways so they do not have to risk their lives.
The illegal movement of Afghans through the deserts of Nimroz toward Iran has for years carried serious risks due to harsh environmental conditions, shortages of water and food, people becoming lost along the route, and the activities of human smugglers.
The agency also said that the growing number of Afghans returning to the country has increased pressure on essential services, shelter, and livelihoods, a situation that is once again pushing some people toward dangerous and irregular migration routes.
Writer:Saeed Sameer
