Caught Between Two Conflicts, Afghans Flee Iran
The New York Times • • general
Key Points:
- Fatima Sajjadi, a 26-year-old Afghan graduate student in Iran, fled back to Afghanistan after a two-day journey due to worsening conditions amid the war in Iran and health issues from smoke exposure.
- Sajjadi initially resisted returning because of the Taliban's restrictive policies on women but ultimately relented after her university closed and her parents urged her to leave.
- Over 70,000 people, mostly Afghans, have fled Iran to Afghanistan since the conflict began in late February, marking the largest influx to Afghanistan from Iran in recent times.
- Although these refugees have escaped the immediate dangers of the conflict in Iran, they face a difficult reality in Afghanistan, characterized by extreme poverty and the Taliban's tightening control over society.
