Every year on June 20, UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, marks the World Refugee Day. Pakistan is the world’s largest refugee-hosting country with some 3 million Afghan refugees, and some small numbers from other countries, such as Somalia and elsewhere. About 4 million Afghans have been assisted by UNHCR to return home since 2002.

The theme this year was ‘1 family torn apart by war is too many’. There were events in several cities in Pakistan, with the main event held in Islamabad, with the Secretary for States and Frontier Regions (SAFRON), Zabardast Khan, as chief guest.

The heads of UNICEF, the UN Children’s Programme, and UNOCHA, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, attended, along with representatives from several embassies, the government and the civil society.

The event was held at the Australian High Commission, and was chaired by Maya Ameratunga, acting chief of UNHCR Pakistan. “This year, we had changed the venue so that we could also organise a football match and have better opportunity for the refugees to play music and have stage performances,” said Asif Shahzad, and information officer in UNHCR.

“The World Refugee Day is important to put the refugees on the agenda worldwide. It is not really a celebration,” said Abbas Khan, in the Commissionerate for Afghan Refugees in Islamabad.

“We must never forget the suffering and difficulties that come with forced displacement either they are refugees crossing

borders, or IDPs. They would all rather have wanted to stay at home. Just now that also applies to IDPs who come from North Waziristan due to the military operations there, to seek safe

haven in Bannu and elsewhere in KP,” Abbas Khan adds.

Published in Dawn, June 22nd , 2014