Human tide surges back to Afghanistan

Some Afghan families have complained that the U.N. has not pay for their journey home, as they had been promised

KHYBER PASS, Pakistan (CNN) -- Perched precariously on top of a rickety truck with all their worldly belongings, Abdul Rafiq and 23 members of his family are finally going home.

They are part of a human tide surging through the Khyber Pass heading back to Kabul, Afghanistan's capital, after ten years in a refugee camp in Pakistan.

"The new government is very good. We are all so happy with (the formation of) the new government in Afghanistan. We wish to go back to our country and work in our country," says Rafiq.

CNN NewsPass VIDEO CNN's Mike Chinoy has more on the return of Afghan refugees to their homes from Pakistan. (May 7) Play video

Six months ago, nearly two million Afghans lived in squalid refugee camps in Pakistan and there were fears that the U.S.-led war would lead to a greater humanitarian crisis.

Now with a new government in Kabul and the prospect of peace and reconstruction the camps here are emptying.

Long journey back

The Takta Baig Repatriation Center at the foot of the Kyber Pass is one of the camps run by the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).

The Khyber pass near the Pakistan-Afghanistan border is the main artery for returning refugees

Every day, hundreds of families congregate in communal areas where they collect a small cash stipend and some essential supplies before loading up for the long journey back to Afghanistan.

"Most of these people, they're from 25 years (ago), from the first invasion of Russians and some are coming (after) the September 11 disaster," says Rashid Iqbal Khan a spokesman for UNHCR.

"Some came over the last four years (due to) the drought. So all of them together are going (back) to their homeland."

Before they leave, they're briefed on one of the biggest dangers they will face, a homeland littered with millions of mines and tons of unexploded ordinance.

All the returnees are registered and photographed, the measures necessary to prevent people from slipping back into Pakistan to collect the United Nation's money and supplies a second time.

Departure procedures are tedious and complicated but a Kabul teacher Abdullah Rangin who was jailed three times by the Taliban says the future looks promising.

"We're very optimistic, every nation has offered to help Afghanistan. So I'm full of hope," he says.

However, it is not going to be easy as aid agencies inside Afghanistan say they're overwhelmed by the number of returnees -- 400,000 alone since the beginning of March.

They are also desperately short of money to look after them.

But after so many years in exile, people like Abdul Rafiq and his family are simply not willing to wait any longer.