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Visiting UN refugee chief assures Afghans of continued support for IDPs
The head of the UN refugee agency has assured the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA) of its continued support of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in Afghanistan and those returning to their communities, Afghan officials said on Tuesday.
Filippo Grandi, UN High Commissioner for Refugees, arrived in Kabul on Monday, six months after his last visit, to review progress and discuss challenges regarding the humanitarian situation in Afghanistan.
Grandi said that the focus was especially on people who are displaced or who are returning to their communities.
On Tuesday, he met with IEA officials, including the deputy minister of refugees and repatriation, Mohammad Arsala Kharoti, who expressed appreciation for the UNHCR’s assistance in addressing the problems facing IDPs and returning migrants.
Both sides stressed the importance of working together for the resettlement of IDPs.
Meanwhile, IEA’s deputy spokesman Bilal Karimi said that the issue of Afghan refugees abroad was also discussed during the meetings with the visiting UN official.
“We hope to attract their assistance and achieve a good outcome,” Karimi said.
Grandi also met with Abdullah Abdullah, the former chief of the High Council for National Reconciliation under the former government, and discussed the need for the continuation of international aid to Afghanistan.
There are still almost six million IDPs in Afghanistan while the number of refugees amounts to millions. Around one million Afghans migrated to neighboring countries and Turkey during the past seven months.
Thousands of Afghans who were evacuated amid the fall of Kabul last year remain stranded in the United Arab Emirates and Qatar.
Zalmay Khalilzad, the former US special representative for Afghanistan, has questioned Pakistan’s commitment to the welfare of the Afghan people, citing Islamabad’s policies over the past three decades.
Khalilzad said in a post on X that Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif advocated for the rights of Afghan women during his speech at the UN General Assembly on Friday.
Sharif said: “Fundamental rights of the Afghan people — especially women and girls — must be respected.”
Responding to the remarks, Khalilzad said Pakistan’s policies over the past 30 years raise questions about Sharif’s commitment to Afghan welfare.
He cited Pakistan’s support for militant groups against US forces and what he described as the poor treatment of Afghan refugees as examples.
Khalilzad also said Afghanistan and Pakistan need and should have much better relations, adding that “a reset is necessary.”
India’s Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri met with the UN Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Afghanistan, Rabab Fatima, on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly.
Indian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said in a post on X that Misri underscored the need to keep addressing the humanitarian needs of the Afghan people as a priority.
Misri also appreciated the role of the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) and reaffirmed India’s continued cooperation with the United Nations on Afghanistan.
The meeting comes as Afghanistan continues to face humanitarian and economic challenges, with international agencies warning of significant needs among the Afghan population.
Kazakhstan’s Foreign Minister Mukhtar Tileuberdi has called for pragmatic and coordinated international engagement with Afghanistan, saying the country’s long-term stability is closely linked to the security and sustainable development of Central Asia.
Speaking during the general debate of the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York on Friday, Tileuberdi said humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan remains essential but alone cannot break the cycle of poverty, displacement and dependency.
He said Kazakhstan supports a “pragmatic, coordinated and step-by-step” approach to international engagement with Afghanistan, with the United Nations playing a central role.
Tileuberdi also said Kazakhstan is working with the UN to operationalize the United Nations Regional Centre for the Sustainable Development Goals for Central Asia and Afghanistan in Almaty.
He said the success of the centre should be measured by the results and assistance it delivers to the region.
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