UN Secretary-General praises Pakistan for hosting Afghan refugees

ISLAMABAD: United Nations (UN) Secretary-General António Guterres met with the Afghan refugees in Islamabad and lauded Pakistan for hosting millions of Afghan refugees for about four decades.

During an event in Islamabad today the UN secretary-general met with the refugees in Pakistan, from Afghanistan, Yemen and Tajikistan.

On this occasion, the refugees thoroughly shared their experience with the UN chief in different sectors, including health, skill development, education and business.

Guterres appreciated the government and people of Pakistan for having generously hosted the world’s largest protracted refugee population over a period of three decades in the mainland.

He said that he was grateful to Pakistan for their hospitality, added that the organisation is not doing well financially as the number of refugees have augmented worldwide but finances have not sufficient, he regretted.

Expressing serious concern over the plight of millions of Afghan refugees, Guterres has urged on the international community to enhance its engagement, employ innovative solutions and pro-active joint advocacy to end the world’s largest prolonged humanitarian crisis.

It is worth to mention here that with 4.5 million Afghan refugees who migrated from their country due to ongoing wars since the 1970s, Pakistan hosts the second-largest refugee population after Turkey globally.

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