Sharifa* (20), one of the returnees, who was born in Pakistan and lived there with her family. She had never been in Afghanistan before, and this is the first time she has returned, intending to stay permanently. She currently lives in a small tent with eight family members. When we met her, it had been six days since she returned to Afghanistan. They had slept outside for four nights, and a tent was given to them for two nights. Sharifa* and her family are struggling due to the cold weather, and they are living in a state of uncertainty about their future. They are requesting aid organizations to provide proper shelter for returnees, as the number of returnees is increasing every day. Living in a small tent with cold weather is not suitable for children, especially for Sharifa*'s two younger siblings and her 18-month-old nephew. 

Due to the cold weather and lack of access to clean water, Sharifa*'s younger sister, Farzana*, and her other sister Zahida* got sick. Save the Children's mobile health team treated Farzana*'s sore throat and fever and prescribed necessary medication. They also examined Zahida* and prescribed medications to address her low blood pressure. 

Sharifa*’s Mother, Shirin*, says "Now, here in this tent with our family, we have my daughter-in-law and my 18-month-old grandson. I am concerned about my grandson because he is a child who needs warm clothes and a proper warm shelter. However, we spent four nights outside without shelter or a tent. My daughter Farzana* got sick because of the cold weather, and now she has a fever and a cold." 

"My other daughter, Zahida*, has been experiencing low blood pressure and severe headaches since her father's death. Since the day we were evicted from our house in Pakistan, Zahida* has had constant headaches and her blood pressure remains low." 

She was worried about winter and cold weather, "Now, the weather is cold in Afghanistan, and after processing our documents and registration, we don't know where to go or what to do. The weather was hot in Punjab [the place they used to live in Pakistan], and wedidn't even have warm clothes suitable for the winter weather in Afghanistan. We don't have money to buy clothes or rent a house." Says Shirin* 

Sharifa* used to sew and embroider in Pakistan to support her family now she is concerned about her family and his brother’s job if she cannot continue to work and contribute her family, "In Pakistan, I used to sew and embroider to contribute to my family's income. I also helped my younger siblings attend school. I have skills in sewing women's and men's clothing. Now that we are in Afghanistan, I am uncertain of where to go and where to live." 

"We tried to sell my brothers' shop where they worked, but we couldn't find a buyer at a good price. So, we had to leave one of our brothers behind to sell the shop." 

Also, sharifa’s* sister Farzana* (9) she was studying in third grade in Pakistan, she wants to continue her studies and pursue her dream of becoming a doctor but she in not sure whether she would be able to go to school in Afghanistan or not. She says, "When I was in Pakistan, I went to school and studied in third grade. I was studying hard with the aspiration of becoming a doctor in the future. Now, I wish to pursue my dream of becoming a doctor in the future." 

"It saddens me deeply that we were forced to leave Pakistan, but I hold a strong love for Afghanistan. I hope to have the opportunity to achieve my aspirations in our own country." 

Due to urgent needs andthe increasing number of returnees, Save the Children has deployed a Mobile Health Team to Torkham to provide health, nutrition, and psychosocial services. Additionally, with the help of Humanitarian Fund (HF),we have also constructed 10 gender-segregated latrines to ensure arriving families are not defecating in the openand providing clean and safe drinking water through 20 water stations.At the same time, we are establishing child-friendly spaces (CFSs) for children to ensure they have a safe area while their families’ documents are processed.