State minister warns global community against growing displacement
ISLAMABAD: Minister of state for States and Frontier Regions (SAFRON) and Narcotics Control Shehryar Afridi on Tuesday warned the global community against the growing trend of displacement.
Addressing the participants of 70th Session of the Executive Committee of United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in Geneva, he said the current figures of 70.8 million displaced population and 25.9 million refugees were alarming signs and the world needs to play its role in conflict resolution of longstanding issues, said a press release received here.
The minister said that Pakistan was open to adopting Comprehensive Refugee Response Framework (CRRF) on refugees due to its proximity to Solution Strategy for Afghan Refugees (SSAR) framework and its objectives, but urged the global community to provide adequate resources of region-specific issues and sensitivities.
“Pakistan has significantly contributed to the cause of awareness and efforts to address the Refugee situation and also played a key role in conflict resolution and ending wars. I would also urge the global community to come forward and offer a quick and predictable response for burden and responsibility sharing in refugees’ hosting,” he said.
He said that it was a source of concern that over 85 percent of refugees were being hosted by developing countries that have limited resources. Pakistan is the second-highest refugees’ hosting country and half of the world’s protracted refugees,” he said.
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He added that Pakistan had demonstrated unparalleled generosity and hospitality in hosting Afghan refugees for the last 40 years, and adhered to the highest standards of protection and facilitation.
He said Pakistan’s commitment to refugees’ issue was evident from the fact that the prime minister would be co-convener at Global Refugees Forum to be held in December this year in Geneva.
“Despite limited resources, billions of dollars had been spent by the government on refugees. Colossal wear and tear to infrastructure, burden on health, education sectors along with difficulties in services providing entities are becoming acute by the day”.
Afridi said that in such situations, quick and predictable response from our global partners for burden and responsibility sharing is earnestly required.
