17 Afghans, including 8 children, die of thirst on the way to Iran
Afghan migrants are hiding from security forces near Tatvan in Turkey's Bitlis province after entering the country irregularly from Iran in 2021 – Reuters.
Seventeen Afghan citizens have died from severe dehydration while travelling toward Iran. Among the dead were women and eight people under the age of 18. The human rights organization Halvash said they died on Thursday after running out of water in the Rotak area of Iran's Saravan border region.
Halvash said the incident took place in the Mak-Sokhta area of the Rotak border region in Iran's Saravan area. They died after running out of water during the journey.
The organization said that among the dead were five members of a family from Afghanistan's northern Baghlan province. Among them were a 45-year-old mother and her four daughters. The daughters were aged 14, 16, 18, and 22.
According to Halvash, among the dead were also about six more children under the age of 14.
Eyewitnesses and relatives of the deceased said that the Afghan citizens faced a severe water crisis on the way to Iran. They later died from dehydration.
In a video released by Halvash, several people could be seen digging multiple graves in an unknown location. The organization said the graves were being prepared for the burial of Afghan citizens who died while trying to reach Iran.
According to the report, relatives of the family from Baghlan live in Saravan. The funeral prayer for the five family members was scheduled to be held on Sunday.
Halvash said it could not independently verify the total number of deaths.
Such deaths of Afghan citizens trying to reach Iran also occurred earlier this year.
In early August, Hayatullah and 18 others went missing while travelling to Iran through the scorching Margo Desert in Afghanistan's southwestern Nimroz province. It was later learned that they died due to extreme heat and dehydration.
These incidents are bringing to light the risks faced by Afghan citizens who use irregular migration routes to reach neighbouring countries. In remote border areas, they have to face extreme heat, dehydration, and other dangers.
Many Afghan citizens are still leaving the country due to poverty, unemployment, and security concerns. To reach Iran, many of them rely on human traffickers and travel through difficult and harsh terrain.
Afghan migrants also face various risks on the way to Iran and Turkey. Deaths have also been reported due to gunfire at the border and harsh weather and difficult terrain.
Source: Amu TV, Info Migrant
