The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has warned of a humanitarian catastrophe looming in Afghanistan, amid continuing uncertainty over the situation of vulnerable Afghans seeking shelter across the country's borders. UNHCR spokesperson Babar Baloch told today's press briefing that the displacement crisis is indeed inside Afghanistan, where more than 600,000 Afghans have been displaced this year, "80 percent of whom are women and children." Baloch stressed in an appeal to the world not to distract its attention or focus from Afghans and Afghanistan, and that the situation in Afghanistan cannot be allowed to become a "humanitarian catastrophe", citing that UNHCR has not witnessed such a large influx of refugees crossing the borders into Pakistan and Iran before.
