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Longer-term solutions needed for issue of Afghan refugees in Pakistan: UNHCR chief
Recognizing the challenges facing Pakistan and its willingness to host over a million Afghans, Grandi called for an urgent “reset of the aid model” towards solutions.
Wrapping up a three-day visit to Pakistan, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, Filippo Grandi, called for more efforts towards longer-term solutions for Afghans in Pakistan, and support for their host communities.
According to a statement issued by UNHCR, Grandi visited Peshawar and Haripur in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province where he met with Afghan refugees in urban settings as well as in a refugee village.
People he met shared a message of anxiety regarding their situation, but also of their desire to contribute to their communities in Pakistan, as well as eventually in Afghanistan.
During discussions in Islamabad with senior officials, including Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Foreign Minister Mohammad Ishaq Dar, Grandi called for the timely extension of the Proof of Registration (PoR) cards for Afghan refugees.
This is a crucial identity document held by over 1.3 million Afghans in Pakistan.
Grandi expressed appreciation at the suspension of the repatriation program and asked that it remain on hold.
Recognizing the challenges facing Pakistan and its willingness to host over a million Afghans, Grandi called for an urgent “reset of the aid model” towards solutions.
“We need to seize this opportunity to accelerate solutions, and have a bigger, broader vision for the Afghan people in Pakistan,” he noted.
Grandi said he hoped to arrange a dialogue later this year in order to bring together key stakeholders to help find solutions that benefit both Pakistan and Afghanistan.
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UNAMA chief to brief UNSC on Afghanistan on Wednesday
UN Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Afghanistan and head of UNAMA, Roza Otunbayeva, is expected to brief the UN Security Council on the situation in Afghanistan on Wednesday after UNAMA released its quarterly report Tuesday.
Tanja Fajon, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign and European Affairs of the Republic of Slovenia, will preside over the meeting.
UNAMA’s latest report, which includes information gathered after the last report dated June 13, states that security incidents have increased against the same period last year; restrictions on women have increased, and almost more than 24 million people still need humanitarian aid.
The Islamic Emirate, meanwhile, expects that the reality of Afghanistan should be reflected in Otunbayeva’s report.
IEA has already asked UNAMA many times to reflect on the realities of Afghanistan in its reports and to refrain from exaggerating small issues.
Otunbayeva stated in her last report that by August 30 of this year, only 24.9 percent of the $2.9 billion dollars required for aid to Afghanistan had been provided.
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Haqqani meets with Japanese ambassador to Kabul
Acting Minister of Interior Affairs Sirajuddin Haqqani met on Tuesday with the Japanese Ambassador to Kabul,Takayoshi Kuromiya, the ministry said in a statement.
Abdul Matin Qane, the spokesperson for the Ministry of Interior, said in a post on X that apart from expressing satisfaction over the improved security situation, they discussed boosting Japan's aid to Afghanistan.
They also discussed a working group with UNAMA to tackle issues related to narcotics.
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IEA says Afghan embassy reopens in Oman
A spokesman for Afghanistan’s foreign affairs said Tuesday Islamic Emirate diplomats have been posted to Oman to reopen the Afghanistan embassy.
Hafiz Zia Ahmad Takal said in a post on X the embassy in Muscat opened last Sunday.
Takal added that resuming the activities of the Afghan embassy with the cooperation of the host country will play a constructive role in strengthening political, economic, social and religious relations between Kabul and Muscat.
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