Stop Human Catastrophe: Help Afghan Refugees!

Another human tragedy is unfolding just over the border with Iran and threatening Afghanistan. During the past three weeks the fundamentalist Islamic regime of Iran has forcefully deported over 85 000 Afghan refugees back to Afghanistan. Reports tell of the brutal treatment of Afghan refugees by the Iranian police and of women and children being separated from their adult male family members and taken away to Afghanistan. The flood of refugees surged into the hot deserts of Nimroz and Farah with no water, no food and no shelter - a horrific situation. Hundreds of small children who have been separated from their parents can be seen roaming, dazed and crying out for their families.

Reports on Afghan refugees

"My father and mother had been invited out to a party; Iranian police came to our house and deported us in the direction of Nimroz."

These are the sad words of Noorbashee, 9, who claims she has been expelled from Iran along with her 3 year old sister. Now these two small girls are living in great hardship in a camp in the frontier region of Nimroz Province that offers nothing except for the burning desert and whirling sand storms.

"They threw me and my little sister into a truck, where there were other people too, and we were very frightened and they took us to a camp in Zabul and there the Iranians were beating everybody and an old man accepted us as his children and the Iranians beat this old man as well," said Noorbashee. (Pajhwok Afghan News, May 17, 2007)

"During my 48-hour detention I was given no food," said a young Afghan deportee who accused the Iranian police of having robbed him. Another deported man, showing his blood-stained shirt, said, "They [the Iranian security forces] kept on punching and kicking me in the face and head while I was still bleeding." (IRIN News, April 30, 2007)

Fazila 5, who has been forced out of the Iranshahr Province of Iran, says that another expelled family is looking after her in Nimroz camp. With tears in her eyes Fazila said, "I don't have any news of my father and mother and I don't know anybody here."

Rahima, 3, who has also been forced out of the Zabul Province of Iran, is being cared for by another family. Like Fazila, she knows no-one here. Rahima, with the plaintive language of a small child, says, "I want my mummy and my daddy." (Pajhwok Afghan News, May 17, 2007)

RAWA appeals to all philanthropic, charitable people to come forward and prevent another human catastrophe from happening in Afghanistan. You can respond to this inhumane act on the part of the fundamentalist Islamic and fascist regime in Iran by showing your solidarity with Afghan refugees and raising funds for them.

You can send your donation to RAWA by any one of the following methods of payment:

Online Credit Card Donations: Please click here http://www.afghanwomensmission.org/help_us/donate.php and make your payment at EMERGENCY RELIEF section.

Please make check or money order payable to IHC/Afghan Women's Mission and mail it to:

Afghan Women's Mission
P.O. Box 40846
Pasadena, CA 91114-7846
USA

Bank wire transfers: To do a wire transfer to the Afghan Women's Mission, pease call AWM's office at (626) 676-7884 to make arrangements.

Thank you in advance for your support.

RAWA