ISTANBUL 

A UN agency is seeking urgent funding to sustain livelihoods in Afghanistan, where a worsening drought threatens the survival of rural households throughout the Central Asian country.

The UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) announced in a newsletter on Tuesday that it needs $34.5 million to help nearly 1 million people restore food production across the country.
The organization's goal is to preserve local livestock by providing cash assistance, access to seeds, and land rehabilitation to protect food production assets.

Separately, the UN refugee agency urged Pakistan on Tuesday to halt the forced return of Afghan refugees with proof of registration cards, according to a statement on its website.

UNHCR spokesman Babor Baloch said in Geneva that the forced return of Afghan refugees “is contrary to Pakistan’s long-standing humanitarian approach to this group and would constitute a violation of the principle of non-refoulement.”

On July 31, Pakistan confirmed that Afghan refugees would be deported under the 'Illegal Foreigners Repatriation Plan.' Pakistan repatriated more than a million Afghan refugees since November 2023.