UNITED NATIONS: Pakistan on Thursday criticised the international community for not acting decisively on the massive human suffering as a consequence of the “global wave of displacement and forced migrations — in Europe, the Middle East and Africa, in East Asia and elsewhere”.

Addressing a gathering organised by the Pakistan mission at the United Nations, to highlight the massive humanitarian emergency, Pakistan’s UN Ambassador Maleeha Lodhi said that the international community — to its shame — has ignored massive human suffering in the past.

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“We are reminded of Rwanda and Srebrenica, among other crises. The current crisis of refugees could mark a new flag of shame,” she pointed out.

“Unless addressed effectively, this multiple crisis could produce grave consequences for world order and security,” Lodhi warned.

She said, “I would like to speak out today because, when confronted with a major refugee flow, my country, with modest resources, responded with much greater humanity and generosity than that we are witnessing today”.

She said that Pakistan remains the world’s second largest refugee-hosting country.

“I would add that in terms of the protracted presence of refugees, it is still the world’s top refugee-hosting country”.

She said that “more than half of the world’s refugees today are children, which is the highest figure in over a decade.”

Published in Dawn, August 1st, 2015

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