CTV News in Pakistan: Afghans forced out of their homeland now homeless
PAKISTAN -
In a Pakistan park meant for children to play in, there are Afghan children struggling to survive.
Living in flimsy tents, without the basics like running water or enough food, with only their mothers for protection – most of them widows.
“My husband was killed by Taliban,” one young mother told CTV News.
It’s a statement so common among the other women, she said it almost casually. There was more urgency in the follow-up.
“I don’t worry for me. I worry for my children.”
The United Nations estimates only about half of the approximately three million Afghans in Pakistan are registered. The rest are paperless, living on the margins.
These are Afghans with no status. They can’t work. They can’t go to school. They don’t have access to health care.
Then there’s the constant fear of being detained or deported.
The Pakistan government is threatening to end the amnesty that protects foreigners who lack proper documentation. Some 1,500 Afghans, including women and children, have reportedly been arrested in recent weeks.
(Rosa Hwang / CTV News)
(Rosa Hwang / CTV News)
The mothers in that makeshift tent city know those temporary shelters won’t withstand the elements of a harsh winter. The children though, are mercifully oblivious to the risk. They happily walked 15 minutes to fetch fresh water as their daily chore.
I saw them laugh as they washed dishes in a small bucket and dutifully remembered to take their shoes off before going inside their tent.
(Rosa Hwang / CTV News)
(Rosa Hwang / CTV News)
One girl was so fascinated by correspondent Genevieve Beauchemin asking questions, she could not stop staring. When photojournalist Stéphane Brisson demonstrated the features of his camera, he too was met with wide-eyed wonder.
(Rosa Hwang / CTV News)
Kids are kids. For their mothers, there is constant anxiety.
The influx that started in the late 1970s when Afghans were driven out by the Saur Revolution, then the USSR’s invasion, has ebbed and flowed over the years. It intensified in 2021 when the Taliban reclaimed power.
(Rosa Hwang / CTV News)
When faced with threats and an uncertain future in Taliban-controlled Afghanistan, economic hardship in a neighbouring country was the preferred option — a choice both obvious and brave. But in that park in Pakistan, the trade-off looks just as cruel.
(Rosa Hwang / CTV News)
(Rosa Hwang / CTV News)
(Rosa Hwang / CTV News)
(Rosa Hwang / CTV News)
(Rosa Hwang / CTV News)
(Rosa Hwang / CTV News)
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Powerful earthquake rocks Turkiye and Syria, kills more than 1,300
A powerful 7.8 magnitude earthquake rocked wide swaths of Turkiye and Syria early Monday, toppling hundreds of buildings and killing more than 1,300 people. Hundreds were still believed to be trapped under rubble, and the toll was expected to rise as rescue workers searched mounds of wreckage in cities and towns across the area.
Canadian dollar's outlook for 2023 uncertain as interest rate hikes wane: experts
Experts say the outlook for the loonie in 2023 largely depends on commodity prices, how the U.S. dollar fares, and whether central banks are successful in avoiding a major recession.
China accuses U.S. of indiscriminate use of force over balloon
China on Monday accused the United States of indiscriminate use of force in shooting down a suspected Chinese spy balloon, saying it 'seriously impacted and damaged both sides' efforts and progress in stabilizing Sino-U.S. relations.'
BoC's first summary of deliberations coming this week. Here's what to expect
The Bank of Canada is set to publish its first summary of deliberations Wednesday, giving Canadians a peak into the governing council's reasoning behind its decision to raise interest rates last month.
Beyonce becomes most decorated artist in Grammys history; Harry Styles wins album of the year
Beyonce sits alone atop the Grammy throne as the ceremony's most decorated artist in history, but at the end of Sunday's show it was Harry Styles who walked away with the album of the year honour.
Charles Kimbrough, best known for role in 'Murphy Brown,' dies at 86
Charles Kimbrough, a Tony- and Emmy-nominated actor who played a straight-laced news anchor opposite Candice Bergen on 'Murphy Brown,' died Jan. 11 in Culver City, California. He was 86.
Advocates come together to help sailors stuck for months on tugboats in Quebec port
Groups that advocate for seafarers are expressing concern for 11 sailors who are spending a harsh Quebec winter aboard three tugboats that have been detained for months in the port of Trois-Rivières.
4 Americans, 2 Canadians fined $50K for illegal moose hunting in northern Ont.
An investigation that lasted almost two years has resulted in moose hunting violation convictions for six people and a lodge in Red Lake in northwestern Ontario.
5 things to know for Monday, February 6, 2023
The first battle tank from Canada destined for Ukraine lands in Poland, advocates come together to help sailors who have been stuck for months in a Quebec port, and Beyonce becomes the most decorated artist in Grammys history. Here's what you need to know to start your day.
Canada
-
Several Maritime schools closed after frigid weekend, thousands without power in N.S.
Thousands of Nova Scotians are without power Monday morning following frigid temperatures and high winds over the weekend.
-
BoC's first summary of deliberations coming this week. Here's what to expect
The Bank of Canada is set to publish its first summary of deliberations Wednesday, giving Canadians a peak into the governing council's reasoning behind its decision to raise interest rates last month.
-
4 Americans, 2 Canadians fined $50K for illegal moose hunting in northern Ont.
An investigation that lasted almost two years has resulted in moose hunting violation convictions for six people and a lodge in Red Lake in northwestern Ontario.
-
Advocates come together to help sailors stuck for months on tugboats in Quebec port
Groups that advocate for seafarers are expressing concern for 11 sailors who are spending a harsh Quebec winter aboard three tugboats that have been detained for months in the port of Trois-Rivières.
-
First tank sent by Canada for Ukrainian forces arrives in Poland
The first of the Leopard 2 tanks Canada is donating to Ukrainian forces has arrived in Poland.
-
Canada sends military aircraft into Haiti's skies as gang violence escalates
Canada has sent one of its military planes to Haiti to help the country cope with escalating violence. A joint statement today from National Defence Minister Anita Anand and Foreign Affairs Minister Melanie Joly says Canada has deployed a CP-140 Aurora aircraft to help 'disrupt the activities of gangs' in Haiti.
World
-
-
'Loophole' excuses WHO officials accused of misconduct
A confidential UN report into the alleged missteps by senior World Health Organization staffers in the way they handled a sexual misconduct case during an Ebola outbreak in Congo found their response didn't violate the agency's policies because of what some officials described as a 'loophole' in how WHO defines victims of such behaviour.
-
Former Israeli PM: Putin promised not to kill Zelenskyy
A former Israeli prime minister who served briefly as a mediator at the start of Russia's war with Ukraine says he drew a promise from the Russian president not to kill his Ukrainian counterpart.
-
U.K. nurses, ambulance crews strike, straining health system
Tens of thousands of nurses and ambulance staff walked off the job in the U.K. on Monday in what unions called the biggest strike in the history of the country's public health system.
-
Iraqis protest gender violence after YouTube star killed
Dozens of Iraqi protesters gathered Sunday to decry the so-called 'honour killing' of a 22-year-old YouTube star who was allegedly strangled by her father, adding fuel to calls for legal reforms protecting women.
-
Ukraine defence minister expects help from Western warplanes
Ukraine's defence minister expressed confidence Sunday that Western allies would agree to the country's latest weapons request -- warplanes to fight off Russian forces that invaded nearly a year ago.
Politics
-
Five things to know about upcoming health-care talks between Trudeau, premiers
On Tuesday in Ottawa, Canada's 13 premiers and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau will sit around the same table in person for the first time since COVID-19 hoping to find a path toward a new long-term health-care funding deal.
-
Canada sends military aircraft into Haiti's skies as gang violence escalates
Canada has sent one of its military planes to Haiti to help the country cope with escalating violence. A joint statement today from National Defence Minister Anita Anand and Foreign Affairs Minister Melanie Joly says Canada has deployed a CP-140 Aurora aircraft to help 'disrupt the activities of gangs' in Haiti.
-
Justice minister open to amending bail laws, OPP commissioner says change 'needed now'
Justice Minister and Attorney General David Lametti says he is open to amending bail laws, which have come under increased scrutiny following the shooting death of an Ontario Provincial Police officer.
Health
-
New study highlights increasing prevalence of muscle dysmorphia among Canadian boys, young men
Canadian researchers are drawing attention to the increasing prevalence of 'a pathological pursuit of muscularity' among Canadian boys and young men, with a new study that found one in four were at risk of developing what's known as muscle dysmorphia.
-
'We need to do better': Survey finds cancer patient care remains inconsistent across Canada
The Canadian Cancer Society (CCS) is calling on the federal government to do more for cancer patients, as the system continues to struggle nearly three years after the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic.
-
Would you pay $300 a year for quick access to a nurse? Dealing with demand, Ontario doctors get creative
Paid subscriptions to on-demand care are among the many strategies primary health-care providers in Ontario are adopting in order to meet increased demand for access to doctors in the past year, while also managing staffing shortages.
Sci-Tech
-
Stars disappearing before our eyes faster than ever: report
A new research from a citizen science program suggests that stars are disappearing before our eyes at an 'astonishing rate.'
-
With frigid innovation, scientists make a new form of ice
Using a device that might be described as a super-duper cocktail shaker, scientists have fashioned a previously unknown form of ice - one that might exist on our solar system's icy moons - in research that sheds light on water's behaviour under extreme conditions.
-
Meet me in the metaverse: Some companies set up shop in a digital environment
Aaron Grinhaus' Toronto law firm is one of a growing group of companies setting up offices in a virtual world called themetaverse to push the envelope and learn more about the emerging technology.
Entertainment
-
Beyonce becomes most decorated artist in Grammys history; Harry Styles wins album of the year
Beyonce sits alone atop the Grammy throne as the ceremony's most decorated artist in history, but at the end of Sunday's show it was Harry Styles who walked away with the album of the year honour.
-
Iran singer who faces prison wins Grammy for protest anthem
An Iranian singer who faces possible prison time for his song that's become an anthem to the ongoing protests shaking the Islamic Republic wept early Monday after seeing he'd won a Grammy.
-
'Dances With Wolves' actor remains jailed in sex abuse case
A former "Dances With Wolves" actor accused of sexually abusing Indigenous girls and leading a cult must remain held without bail until his next court hearing, a judge ordered Thursday morning.
Business
-
Adani woes spur protests as stock turmoil turns political
Hundreds of demonstrators from India's main opposition party turned out Monday in India's capital New Delhi and other cities demanding an investigation into allegations of fraud and stock price manipulation by India's second-biggest business group, headed by coal mining tycoon Gautam Adani.
-
U.S. futures sink after U.S. jobs data fan rate hike fears
Wall Street continued to reel before markets opened on Monday after strong U.S. jobs data last week fanned fears of more interest rate hikes.
-
U.K. nurses, ambulance crews strike, straining health system
Tens of thousands of nurses and ambulance staff walked off the job in the U.K. on Monday in what unions called the biggest strike in the history of the country's public health system.
Lifestyle
-
Tiny wines find home in B.C.'s market, as Canadians consider reducing consumption
Wine lovers have growing options on the shelf to enjoy their favourite beverage as producers in B.C. offer smaller container sizes.
-
'Natural power': 17-year-old undefeated Quebec boxer gears up for Canada Games
She started throwing punches to get exercise during the COVID-19 pandemic, but now 17-year-old Talia Birch is gearing up to compete in the Canada Games as it opens up to female boxers for the first time
-
'Bobi is special': Portuguese pooch breaks record for oldest living dog ever
A Portuguese dog named Bobi has been named the world’s oldest living dog by Guinness World Records, which claims the pooch is also the oldest canine ever recorded.
Sports
-
31,000 cards: Montreal woman passing along father's extensive collection of Expos baseball cards
A Montreal woman is passing along her father's extensive collection of over 31,000 Expos baseball cards. April Whitzman's father, Steve Whitzman, collected the cards from 1969 to 2016. A huge Expos fan, he's got every player covered.
-
'Natural power': 17-year-old undefeated Quebec boxer gears up for Canada Games
She started throwing punches to get exercise during the COVID-19 pandemic, but now 17-year-old Talia Birch is gearing up to compete in the Canada Games as it opens up to female boxers for the first time
-
Canadian Kyle Nelson fights to a controversial draw on UFC Fight Night card
Canadian featherweight Kyle 'The Monster' Nelson fought 'The Korean Superboy' Doo-ho Choi to a controversial majority draw early Sunday on a UFC Fight Night card.
Autos
-
Renault, Nissan boards agree to equalize mutual stakes
The boards of Renault and Nissan gave their approval Monday to equalize the stake each automaker holds in the other, bringing a better balance in the French-Japanese alliance.
-
Use of electric vehicles associated with fewer asthma-related ER visits on a local level, study shows
New research suggests that cutting fossil fuel emissions by adopting electric vehicles can improve air quality and potentially reduce respiratory problems in communities. But these benefits may not apply to all neighbourhoods in the same way.
-
Jury: Musk didn't defraud investors with 2018 Tesla tweets
A jury on Friday decided Elon Musk didn't deceive investors with his 2018 tweets about electric automaker Tesla.
