No Afghan refugee exodus yet but 'massive displacement' possible -U.N. refugee agency

United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) Filippo Grandi talks during an interview with Reuters in Gaziantep, Turkey September 10, 2021. REUTERS/Mehmet Emin Caliskan

GAZIANTEP, Turkey (Reuters) - The Taliban victory in Afghanistan has not led to a dramatic refugee exodus but the country urgently needs humanitarian aid to prevent economic collapse and major upheaval, the U.N. refugee agency chief said on Friday.

Half a million people had been displaced within Afghanistan in recent months, U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi said, a number which would grow if health services, schools and the economy break down.