Fending for Themselves: Afghan Refugee Children and Adolescents Working in Urban Pakistan

Although precise numbers are not certain, according to United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees
(UNHCR) estimates, in the months immediately following the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks in the
United States, hundreds of thousands of people fled their homes in Afghanistan in fear of United Statesled retaliatory military action and fighting between Northern Alliance and Taliban forces, as well as intertribal conflicts. In this context, the Women’s Commission conducted a mission to Pakistan January 16-31, 2002, to identify the protection and care concerns of Afghan children, adolescents and youth.