UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, welcomed the generous contribution of EUR 1.5 million from the Government of Finland on 7 October 2021, in support of Afghan refugees in the Islamic Republic of Iran. Finland’s contribution will help UNHCR pre-position Core Relief Items, hygiene kits and tents along border areas, to help Afghans who are recently fleeing conflict and discrimination in their country. In 2021 alone, UNHCR is directly aware of some 18,000 Afghans who newly arrived in Iran using irregular routes, although the total number that have entered the country is likely to be significantly higher. Since the beginning of the year, over 660,000 persons were newly displaced within Afghanistan itself.

During the month of September 2021, a total of 626 new refugees were registered, bringing the number of People of Concern (PoCs) hosted by Zambia to 102,32 (72,075 Refugees, 5,479 asylum-seekers and 24,774 others of concern) as of 30 September 2021.

In terms of durable solutions, UNHCR submitted 163 cases comprising 624 refugees for resettlement consideration. Some 119 cases consisting of 401 individuals travelled to resettlement countries.