The number of Afghan refugees who returned home from Pakistan and Iran last year has dropped to the lowest level since 2002 on account of rising insecurity and lack of opportunities. According to UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR), around 54,000 refugees returned from these two countries in 2009 compared to 278,000 in 2008 and more than 18 lakh in 2002. About seven million Afghans fled their country in the 1980s and 1990s due to war. About five million Afghans have returned to their country since 2002 under one of the largest repatriation programmes in UNHCR's history while around three million are still based in other countries mainly in Pakistan and Iran. A senior advisor at the Ministry of Refugees and Repatriation said worsening security has increasingly hindered refugees' repatriation. He said insecurity in large parts of the country has impeded reconstruction and development projects and has inhibited the government's ability to implement reintegration programmes for returnees.