UN asks for global support to help Pak refugees

High Commissioner Antonio Guterres noted that the speed and scale of the latest displacement require an immediate international humanitarian response in support of the growing number of Pakistanis affected by the conflict.

“These are the same people who for decades showed great generosity to millions of Afghan refugees,” Guterres said.

“Now it is time for the international community to show them the same generosity by supporting humanitarian programmes for the Pakistani displaced.”

UNHCR has opened up its stockpiles in Pakistan to provide thousands of locally bought basic relief items such as tents,kitchen sets,jerry cans,sleeping mats and blankets delivered through non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and the authorities.

Guterres announced a UNHCR airlift on Tuesday to rush 120 tons of additional humanitarian supplies to the north-west of the country from its central emergency stockpiles in Dubai. The chartered Boeing 747 cargo plane will deliver 14,000 plastic sheets,1,500 large roles of plastic,10,000 mosquito nets and two large,portable warehouses,bringing the cost of the airlift to USD 584,000.

“I call the international community to support the overall humanitarian effort on behalf of displaced Pakistanis,” said Guterres. “This is a huge and rapidly unfolding emergency,which is going to require considerable resources beyond those that currently exist in the region.”

In a related development,over 12,700 registered Afghan refugees have been assisted to return home in the last month with the help of UNHCR’s voluntary repatriation programme from Pakistan.

The UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan noted that the numbers are notably lower than the figure for the same period last year.

“However,with ongoing developments in the North-West Frontier Province,the return figures are expected to rise in the coming weeks,” the assistance Mission said,adding that some returnees have cited insecurity as a reason for leaving the province.