Laid-off UNHCR teachers demand relief at Peshawar sit-in

UNHCR staff layoffs left 291 teachers without notice or financial relief; they protested in Peshawar after decades teaching Afghan refugee children.

291 teachers who taught Afghan refugee children for 35–40 years were dismissed on 31 October without prior notice or financial relief.

The group includes 100 men and 191 women from Peshawar, Mardan, Nowshera, Swabi, Haripur, Kohat, Dera Ismail Khan and other districts.

Teachers held a sit-in in Peshawar led by Tufail Ahmed and Farhana Durrani, demanding compensation for decades of service.

Protesters said the UNHCR office closed its doors, posted police outside, and that they were warned of a possible baton charge.

They appealed to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Governor Faisal Karim Kundi to help secure relief for affected families.

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