In a statement issued at the 69th Session of the General Assembly of the United Nations (UNGA) on the agenda related to the UNHCR report, Khan said that Pakistan continues to host more than three million registered and unregistered Afghan refugees, the largest protracted refugee population globally.
“For more than three decades, the government and the people of Pakistan have provided shelter and assistance to these refugees settled throughout Pakistan”, Khan added.
The report included questions pertaining to current situation of the refugees, returnees, internally displaced persons (IDPs) and humanitarians in Pakistan.
Khan said that while they appreciated the new Afghan government’s stance on the returned refugees, Pakistan needed adequate international support to close the chapter on the largest refugee caseload in one of the most protracted refugee situations in the world.
Khan said that Pakistan was planning to send its representatives to Kabul soon to discuss modalities for repatriation and rehabilitation of refugees.
“Pakistan regretted that the international support to refugees in Pakistan has been dwindling, which saw another significant decrease this year,” Khan said.
The ambassador added that despite its own resource constraints, Pakistan has continued to provide the necessary services to the refugees.
Refugees have been provided access to public health facilities, and children to public schools in Pakistan.
“Our resources have been stretched by massive relief efforts following recent floods and temporary relocation of the hundreds of thousands of people because of the ongoing anti-terrorist operation - Zarb-e-Azb”, Khan added.
Pakistan expressed deep concern over the disturbing picture of the global refugee and dis-placement situation and increase in incidents of sexual violence against refugee women and children.
The envoy warned of increasing number of global refugees, IDPs and asylum seekers in wake of the Middle East and African conflicts, which have crossed 50 million, the highest since World War II.
“The ongoing conflicts in the Middle East and Africa have spawned new waves of refugees and IDPs.”
“Millions have fled their villages and towns in Syria, Iraq and Sub-Saharan Africa.”
“Millions have fled their villages and towns in Syria, Iraq and Sub-Saharan Africa. Millions more are living in dangerous and difficult- to-access locations, all in urgent need of critical humanitarian assistance,” Khan further added.
COMMENTS (1)
Comments are moderated and generally will be posted if they are on-topic and not abusive.
For more information, please see our Comments FAQ
You can ask for all the help, except financial, that is likely to disappear without any checks. There is a serious trust deficit with Pakistan, when it comes to Money !