ISLAMABAD: Minister of state for States and Frontier Regions (SAFRON) and Narcotics Control Shehryar Afridi on Tuesday warned the global community against growing trends of displacement.
Addressing participants of 70th Session of the Executive Committee of United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in Geneva, he said the current figures of 70.8 million displaced population and 25.9 million refugees were a cause for alarm for the world and that the international community should work towards conflict resolution of longstanding issues, said a press release received here.
The Minister said that Pakistan was open to adopting Comprehensive Refugee Response Framework (CRRF) on refugees due to its proximity to Solution Strategy for Afghan Refugees (SSAR) framework and its objectives, but urged the global community to provide adequate resources of region-specific issues and sensitivities.
“Pakistan has significantly contributed to the cause of awareness and efforts to address the refugee situation and also played a key role in conflict resolution and ending wars. I would also urge the global community to come forward and offer a quick and predictable response for burden and responsibility sharing in refugees’ hosting,” he said.
He said that it was a source of concern that over 85 per cent of refugees were being hosted by developing countries that have limited resources.
“Pakistan is the second-highest refugees’ hosting country and is home to half of the world’s protracted refugees,” he said and added that Pakistan had demonstrated unparalleled generosity and hospitality in hosting Afghan refugees for the last 40 years, and had also adhered to the highest standards of protection and facilitation.
“Our commitment to refugees’ issue is evident from the fact that our minister would be co-convener at Global Refugees Forum to be held in December this year in Geneva,” asserted the minister.
“Despite limited resources, billions of dollars have been spent on refugees. Colossal wear and tear to infrastructure, burden on health, education sectors along with difficulties in services providing entities are becoming acute by the day”.
Afridi said that in such situations, quick and predictable response from global partners for burden and responsibility sharing is earnestly required.
“We are sure that UNHCR’s global policies are beneficial, still emphasis should be on country and region-specific requirements and capacities, especially under-stress education and Health sectors”.
Afridi said that Pakistan appreciated the contribution of its partners towards Refugees Affected and Hosting Areas (RAHA) initiative. “Though it covers only a fraction of what has been incurred by Pakistan, still it helps in social cohesion. However, the gradual reduction of funds towards RAHA would adversely impact this positive initiative,” he added.
He said Pakistan along with its regional partners, had decided to continue with Solution Strategy for Afghan Refugees (SSAR) till December 2021, emphasising that three pillars namely, voluntary repatriation, sustainable reintegration in Afghanistan and support to the host countries needed to be highlighted.
“While the concept of support platform under SSAR was welcomed, the additional partners’ participation should not be a substitute to our traditional global partners’ contributions where the underlying principle was the humanitarian assistance in refugees’ management and repatriation,” he added.
He said that all refugees are fully respected in Pakistan with free access to basic education, health services, and other facilities.
“While Pakistan is taking care of about a million Afghan urban refugees that moved from camps due to stoppage of assistance by the international community, we are also looking after half a million camp-based refugees, and are effectively trying to re-establish the shrinking services there. We were thankful to UNHCR for extending their support”.
He urged the international community to fully support and generously contribute to the development of Afghanistan.
“This initiative and efforts of the Afghan government for peace and stability in their country, along with the repatriation grant restored to its past level of 400 dollars, would provide enabling environment for quick repatriation and sustainable reintegration of refugees in their home country”.
“I also take this opportunity to share Prime Minister Imran Khan’s vision on statelessness. Not only is the prime minister sympathetic towards a largely stateless population, he on many occasions talked of a policy that would facilitate them,” he said.
