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UN allocates $10 million for Afghan refugees from Pakistan
Martin Griffiths, the Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations for Humanitarian Affairs, has allocated a special fund of $10 million for Afghan refugees returning from Pakistan.
The allocated funds have been drawn from the United Nations Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) and comes amid a global refugee crisis.
The intention is to provide essential aid and assistance to the returning Afghan refugees, helping them reintegrate into their home country.
This aid will facilitate their basic needs, offering immediate relief to those who have been displaced.
Amidst the ongoing global refugee crisis, the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) is stepping up its efforts and the agency is offering cash assistance, winter supplies, and structural reinforcement for homes and collective shelters in countries like Ukraine, Lebanon, Jordan, Syria, Afghanistan, Iran, and Pakistan.
More than 400,000 Afghans have returned to their home country following an ongoing crackdown on illegal foreigners in Pakistan.
The Pakistani authorities had issued a stern warning, stating that anyone without proper documents would have to leave the country by October 31 or face arrest.
The majority of these Afghan returnees used the border crossings of Torkham and Spin Boldak.
The recent allocation by the UN is a beacon of hope, ensuring that their return is met with essential aid and a chance to reconstruct their lives in their homeland.
On the other hand, the Pakistan Supreme Court’s Justice Yahya Afridi has not accepted the request to stop the deportation of Afghan immigrants.
Mohsin Dawar, the leader of the National Democratic Movement of Pakistan, said that in a meeting with Yahya Afridi, the Supreme Court’s Justice of this country, he demanded to stop the deportation process of Afghans, which was not accepted.
Acting Minister of Industry and Commerce, Nooruddin Azizi, and Mohammad Sadiq, Pakistan’s Special Representative for Afghanistan, met on Saturday to address ongoing trade and transit challenges, stressing the importance of preventing political tensions from impacting economic ties, the ministry said in a statement.
The two officials focused on finalizing the Preferential Trade Agreement (PTA) and resolving issues related to the Afghanistan-Pakistan Transit Trade Agreement (APTTA), the statement read.
The meeting also discussed the upcoming visit of Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister to Afghanistan and a planned visit by an Islamic Emirate delegation to Pakistan.
The ministry hailed Sadiq’s visit to Kabul as a positive step, with Azizi emphasizing its constructive role in enhancing bilateral trade relations.
Acting Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi and Pakistan’s Special Representative for Afghanistan Mohammad Sadiq met on Saturday and discussed bilateral relations, political and economic cooperation, security and transit, said Zia Ahmad Takal, head of public relations at Foreign Ministry in a statement.
In this meeting, Muttaqi emphasized that obstacles to trade and transit are not in anyone’s interest and that certain issues should not be linked together.
He added that the process of Afghan refugees returning from Pakistan should be carried out gradually and with dignity.
According to the statement, Pakistan’s special representative also acknowledged that ensuring security in Afghanistan benefits both Pakistan and the region.
He committed to introducing measures to facilitate the visa issuance process for Afghan citizens.
Mohammad Sadiq also stated that practical steps will be taken to resolve existing trade and transit challenges.
The Afghan embassy in Oslo will resume consular services on coming Monday, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Kabul announced Saturday.
The ministry said in a statement that the resumption of consular services in Norway was a “positive step.”
In August last year, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Kabul declared the consular services of Afghan missions in 14 Western countries including Norway to be invalid.
The statement cited corruption, lack of transparency and non-coordination with the ministry as reasons for the closure.
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