PESHAWAR: More refugees not to be allowed: official
Bureau Report
PESHAWAR, Oct 12: Pakistan has once again reiterated its stance that it would not open its border for new refugees unless the United Nations High Commission for Refugees establishes proper camps for new arrivals. Differences between the two parties re-surfaced over some core issues including distribution of food and security arrangements.
“Pakistan will not open its border for the fresh influx, unless UNHCR sets up full-fledged camps where the provision of all basic needs are ensured,” said commissioner Afghan refugees, NWFP, Mohammad Naeem Khan speaking at a press conference here at his office on Friday.
On the other hand a the UNHCR statement issued here on Friday expressed concern over numerous obstacles preventing its staff from making urgent preparations for a possible influx of refugees in countries bordering Afghanistan.
The statement said that at 15 sites were needed to accommodate an initial 150,000 people. But following some disappointing results during recent site surveys, land ownership disputes with local tribes and the decision by the authorities to withdraw six approved sites, the UNHCR would need to retrace numerous steps made over the recent weeks.
Well-placed sources conceded to Dawn that Afghan Commissionerate was in dispute with the UNHCR over a number of issues.
The sources said that the Commissionerate had asked the agency to hand over the food distribution to its staff. But the latter had not agreed to its demand. Similarly, the UNHCR had some reservations over the proposed sites.
Elaborating the government policy regarding the opening of the border for new refugees the commissioner Afghan refugees said in case of humanitarian catastrophe in Afghanistan and the setting up of well-established camps by the UNHCR on the identified sites, then Pakistan would open the border for the fresh influx.
He maintained, “refugee camp does not mean to pitch few tents but to provide for all basic needs including shelter, drinking water, food, sanitation, health and education to the camp inmates.”
He said that the slow-paced activities of the UNHCR were also affecting the operation, though the government had offered all available services to establish new camps. He said that the World Food Programme (WFP) had been asked to shift warehouses to Fata, where the new camps would be set up.
He said that the situation was very serious and the government was expecting a huge influx, since the US forces carried out strikes on Afghanistan. He said that Pakistan has imposed ban on the entry of refugees, but some displaced people were trying to cross the border through illegal routes.
The commissioner said that the Frontier province had already overcrowded and houses around 1.7 million registered refugees in 48 camps.
That was why the possible new arrivals would be accommodated in Federally Administered Tribal Areas (Fata).
He said that WFP had stopped its food assistance to the refugees since 1996 while the UNHCR also withdrew its assistance, that caused problems for Pakistan.
To a question he said that Afghan Commissionerate would provide assistance if the UNHCR faced any problem in relief operation. He said that many Arab NGOs were still carrying out relief activities in refugee camps and the western NGOs would also be facilitated to do so.
