United Nations Radio

UN refugee agency goodwill ambassador, actress Angelina Jolie has appealed to the international community to help Afghans who are returning home so that they properly resettled.

traveled to Nangahar province where almost 20 percent of all returnees have settled since 2002.

Spokesman for the UN refugee agency, Ron Redmond, says Ms Jolie traveled to two settlement sites where Afghans who have recently returned from Pakistan live on desolate, desert land in tattered tents and makeshift shelters.

"The goodwill ambassador witnessed similar challenges in Kabul, where she visited families who had returned from Pakistan since 2003 but have still been unable to go back to their home villages. They have been squatting in public buildings in Kabul for several years due to the lack of available land in Parwan, their province origin."

Ron Redmond says Angelina Jolies's visit to Afghanistan was also aimed at raising awareness of the refugee issue ahead of an international conference on return and reintegration to be held in Kabul in November.

According to UNHCR, despite huge returns to Afghanistan, with over five million people having gone home in the past six years, approximately three million registered refugees remain in neighbouring Iran and Pakistan.

This is Diane Bailey reporting for United Nations Radio.

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