Afghanistan urges Iran to halt refugee repatriation

KABUL, Apr 29 (Reuters) Afghanistan's government today called on neighbouring Iran to suspend the repatriation of Afghan refugees because the country lacked the resources to resettle them.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Sultan Ahmad Baheen said about 30,000 Afghan refugees, including women and children, had been sent home from Iran in the past week alone.

He said war-torn Afghanistan lacked resources and the repatriation would cause problems for the government and the refugees.

Iran, after neighbouring Pakistan, accounts for the largest number of Afghan refugees -- about two million who had fled their country during three decades of conflict.

Iran says around one million Afghans living there have illegally entered and will be sent home.

REUTERS KK PM1533