GENEVA, 17 October 2021, (TON): The UN Refugee Agency urged countries to facilitate and speed up family reunification procedures for Afghans whose families were left behind in Afghanistan or who have been displaced across the region.

UNHCR spokeswoman Shabia Mantoo said "while recent political developments in Afghanistan have not led to large-scale cross-border displacement, many among pre-existing Afghan refugee and asylum seeker populations remain separated from their families owing to the inaccessibility of family reunification procedures.”

Speaking at a UN press briefing, she said “many Afghans were approaching UNHCR offices, desperately concerned for the safety and welfare of their family members who remain in Afghanistan or neighboring countries following the Taliban takeover earlier this year.”

The Taliban captured Kabul on Aug. 15, forcing the president and other top officials to leave. They have formed an interim government headed by Hasan Akhund.

In Geneva, Mantoo said "to ensure the preservation of family unity and to help protect lives on account of the exceptionally challenging situation in the country, UNHCR is urging states to prioritize and simplify family reunification admission procedures."