RAWALPINDI: Germany has helped Pakistan establish an ‘Urban Cohesion Hub’ to foster good relations between host communities of the twin cities and Afghan refugees.

German Ambassador Bernhard Schlagheck and Minister of States and Frontier Regions (Safron) Sahibzada Mehboob Sultan inaugurated the urban hub on Monday.

Funded by the German Federal Foreign Office and established in cooperation with the Chief Commissionerate for Afghan Refugees under Safron, the hub is set to support more than 30,000 refugee and host community members with integrated services in health, education, skills training, legal support and recreational activities.

Welcoming all community members, the initiative aims to support vulnerable groups including the differently-abled, out-of-school children, elderly people, youth and women.

Mr Sultan said establishment of the hub was a prime example of the German government’s cooperation and assistance towards refugees and host communities. For the last 40 years, Pakistanis have shown exemplary kindness, empathy and solidarity towards Afghan refugees in Pakistan, he added.

The hub stands as proof of the close 70-year long German-Pakistani bilateral relations, Mr Schlagheck said, adding that the services to be provided through this hub will promote peaceful coexistence in the area.

The services have been developed through a participatory approach in consultation with communities, the government and UNHCR. Furthermore, the hub’s approach is in line with regional and global policies to ease pressure on refugee-hosting countries and build self-reliance of refugees.

Published in Dawn, February 16th, 2021