ISLAMABAD: The United Nations has urged the world to share with Pakistan and Iran the burden of hosting Afghan refugees.

UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi on Tuesday convened a global meeting to seek practical support and galvanise action in support of durable solutions for Afghan refugees.

The virtual meeting sought support for programmes and projects under the Solutions Strategy for Afghan Refugees, where Pakistan, Iran and Afghanistan launched a portfolio of projects in education, health and livelihoods, as well as energy, water and community infrastructure.

The meeting was attended by ministerial-level officials from Pakistan, Iran and Afghanistan, while representatives from key countries and multilateral organisations also participated.

Speaking during the meeting, UNHCR Representative in Pakistan Noriko Yoshida said that additional support through this platform aims to help ease pressure on refugee-hosting countries and support Afghanistan despite its challenges.

Pakistan says there has been a significant decline in funding for refugee-hosting countries

“The world must come forward and shoulder the burden, as Pakistan and Iran have done in hosting 90 per cent of Afghan refugees for over four decades,” Ms Yoshida said, adding that “Education and livelihoods, in particular, give Afghan refugees real hope for the future.”

The initiative seeks strategic investments in education, health, training and youth empowerment as a priority as nearly half the Afghan population of 37 million is under 15 years of age. In Pakistan, some 64pc of registered Afghan refugees are below the age of 25.

Speaking on the occasion, Minister for States and Frontier Regions Mohammad Mehboob Sultan urged key humanitarian and development donors to invest in these important projects. He stressed, however, that this support should be additional and not substitute traditional funding.

He said that there has been a significant decline in funding for refugee-hosting countries. “The international community must play its role in shouldering the burden and responsibility.”

Mr Sultan noted that Pakistan is committed to ensuring the voluntary, safe and dignified nature of return to Afghanistan and added that there is a dire need to support the Priority Areas of Return and Reintegration in Afghanistan, which will help the sustainable return and reintegration of Afghan refugees.

Pakistan continues to host 1.4 million registered Afghan refugees. Since 2002, some 4.4m refugees have returned to Afghanistan under the UNHCR-facilitated voluntary repatriation operation.

The UNHCR is calling for targeted investments inside Afghanistan and in refugee-hosting Pakistan and Iran, warning that inaction could lead to further population flows, continued suffering and instability, and a deepening regional socio-economic crisis in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic.

As the long-running crisis in Afghanistan enters its fifth decade, a renewed focus on international solidarity is needed to ensure another decade of displacement and despair is averted and hope restored for millions of Afghans. UNHCR spokesperson Babar Baloch says the latest negotiations to bring peace and stability to their country represent a watershed moment for the Afghan people. However, many Afghans in exile are pinning their hopes on seeing improvements in the situation before returning home.

The majority of refugees in Pakistan and Iran cite several obstacles to their return and sustainable reintegration in Afghan­istan. These include a lack of access to livelihoods, land, shelter and basic services, as well as continued insecurity in the country.

Published in Dawn, July 8th, 2020