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Exclusive pictures: Afghans fleeing Taliban flood Iran border

Sunday, 22 August 2021 10:22 AM [ Last Update: Sunday, 22 August 2021 10:43 AM ]

Afghan civilians fleeing chaos in their country rush to Iran's border for help. (Photo by Amir Salemi/Press TV)

The Taliban's takeover of Afghanistan in the midst of a messy troop withdrawal by the United States is sending an exodus of Afghan civilians fleeing the country via perilous routes to neighboring countries, including Iran.

Fearing a repeat of years of the Taliban’s extremist rule, at least 30,000 Afghans are believed to be leaving the country each week. Many more have been displaced within Afghanistan’s borders.

Among the neighboring nations, Iran — a main host country for Afghan refugees — is building temporary camps in three provinces to deal with an ongoing influx of Afghan refugees.

Tehran said on Sunday it was preparing to temporarily house Afghans seeking refuge, but warned that they should head back home once the security situation has improved.

Hossein Ghassemi, director-general of the Interior Ministry's Border Affairs, told the IRNA news agency that Afghans who cross the border into Iran would “be repatriated, once conditions improve.”

Hosting Afghan refugees for almost 40 years, the Islamic Republic of Iran is home to more than 3.5 million Afghans, according to the UN’s refugee agency.

These phots, shot by Press TV’s Amir Salemi, show displaced Afghan families at Milak and Molla Sharif border crossings with Iran: