UNITED NATIONS
\nHighlighting that Pakistan is hosting over 3.5 million Afghan refugees, a Pakistani delegate has urged the developed countries to financially help the developing countries caring for large number of refugees, and also offer the option of resettlement in the third countries.
\n\u201cInternational community needs to provide adequate, predictable, regular and sustainable financial support in line with the principle of responsibility sharing for the Afghan refugees in the neighbouring countries,\u201d Saima Saleem, a counsellor in Pakistan Mission, said in a UN panel on Friday.
\nSaleem was participating in an interactive dialogue with Filippo Grandi, UN High Commissioner for Refugees, in the General Assembly\u2019s Third Committee, which deals with social, humanitarian and cultural matters Pakistan, she said, was committed to the principle of voluntary repatriation of Afghan refugees, \u201cin safety and dignity\u201d, but that must be backed by time-bound return and repatriation plans.
\nIn this regard, she said Pakistan concern over the deteriorating humanitarian conditions in Afghanistan, especially as winter approaches, and called for immediate steps to rectify the situation. Under the circumstances, the freezing of the Afghan government\u2019s overseas assets is entirely unjustified,\u201d the Pakistani delegate said, adding that intensifying suffering of the Afghan people could trigger massive outflow of refugees, revive internal displacement within Afghanistan and threat of terrorism from there.
\n\u201cBilateral and international sanctions are impacting the work of the humanitarian organizations and have disabled banking and financial sectors.\u201d she added. Earlier briefing the committee, Grandi, the UNHCR, who rallied governments to draw inspiration from the world\u2019s 82 million people forcibly displaced who refuse to give up on their quest to build a better life.
\nIn making that call, he invoked the seventieth anniversary of the 1951 Refugee Convention, celebrated this year, and appealed for renewed international solidarity. We must never forget that nobody wants to live with the anxiety of exile, he said, describing UNHCR\u2019s focus on solutions.
\nFrom Afghanistan and Yemen to Ethiopia and elsewhere, he requested more resources and the establishment of enabling conditions to serve those in need, hindrance free. He objected to the construction of walls and the outsourcing of asylum management in wealthier countries, stressing that borders should be kept secure without compromising the dignity of refugees.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
UNITED NATIONS Highlighting that Pakistan is hosting over 3.5 million Afghan refugees, a Pakistani delegate has urged the developed countries to financially help the developing countries caring for large number of refugees, and also offer the option of resettlement in the third countries. \u201cInternational community needs to provide adequate, predictable, regular and sustainable financial support […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-224450","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","category-top-news"],"yoast_head":"\n