- Title: UNHCR appeals for $1.3 billion Afghanistan humanitarian response plan funding
- Date: 30th August 2021
- Summary: AMMAN, JORDAN (AUGUST 30, 2021) (REUTERS) DEPUTY U.N. HIGH COMMISSIONER FOR REFUGEES, KELLY CLEMENTS, TALKING TO JOURNALIST (SOUNDBITE) (English) DEPUTY U.N. HIGH COMMISSIONER FOR REFUGEES, KELLY CLEMENTS, SAYING: "We are appealing for, as I said, 1.3 billion dollars for the humanitarian response plan, that's for inside Afghanistan and we just issued a response plan for the refugee hosting countries for both response and contingency planning of almost 300 million dollars." CLEMENTS TALKING TO JOURNALIST (SOUNDBITE) (English) DEPUTY U.N. HIGH COMMISSIONER FOR REFUGEES, KELLY CLEMENTS, SAYING: "There is a 1.3 billion dollar humanitarian response plan that remains tremendously underfunded, it's only about 40% subscribed. It's everything from water, sanitation, shelter, protection related requirements; that needs support. It's very likely we would like to boost our support and increase our humanitarian assistance but we need access and we need security and that is something that we are working very closely with those inside the country to be able to provide." UN FLAG (SOUNDBITE) (English) DEPUTY U.N. HIGH COMMISSIONER FOR REFUGEES, KELLY CLEMENTS, SAYING: "Totally there are 3.4 million internally displaced inside Afghanistan, 550 thousand have been displaced in 2021 alone. There have been newly displaced 120 thousand in July alone. So displacement continues at very high levels unfortunately." UN AND UNHCR FLAGS (SOUNDBITE) (English) DEPUTY U.N. HIGH COMMISSIONER FOR REFUGEES, KELLY CLEMENTS, SAYING: "It's a difficult situation. Pakistan and Iran have hosted 90% of the 2.2 million Afghan refugees that have been registered now, for forty years. That's a long time, that is a lot of responsibility. They need support from the international community to continue to host both those Afghans who are there and any new arrivals. We have heard that there are some thousands that have moved to neighbouring countries but not in large numbers. Really the humanitarian situation inside the country is the priority at this point, there has not been a refugee exodus to this point." CLEMENTS TALKING TO JOURNALIST (SOUNDBITE) (English) DEPUTY U.N. HIGH COMMISSIONER FOR REFUGEES, KELLY CLEMENTS, SAYING: "Our engagements with the Taliban of course have been continuous over that period in the last 20 years and we work with them from a humanitarian agency point of view on operational grounds, looking for access, continued program delivery and the like. This is something that we will promote everywhere. Open borders as we do in this region, where we are now, open borders is very important but also in that region. So freedom of movement continues to be a key concept for us." CLEMENTS TALKING TO UNHCR STAFF
- Embargoed: 13th September 2021 17:09
- Keywords: Afghanistan Displaced Humanitarian Assistance Refugees UNHCR
- Location: AMMAN, JORDAN
- City: AMMAN, JORDAN
- Country: Jordan
- Topics: Conflicts/War/Peace,Middle East
- Reuters ID: LVA001ESH25AF
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: PART QUALITY AS INCOMING
The U.N. refugee agency UNHCR appealed on Monday (August 30) for funding towards a $1.3 billion humanitarian response plan set for use inside Afghanistan.
Deputy U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees Kelly Clements issued the request during a visit to the Jordanian capital Amman.
"The plan remains underfunded and is only about 40% subscribed," Clements said, adding that "displacement continues at a very high level unfortunately."
Clements said that a total of 3.4 million people were internally displaced inside Afghanistan, 120 thousand of which in July 2021 alone, placing the humanitarian situation inside the country as a priority.
UNHCR has also issued a response plan for refugee hosting countries for both response and contingency planning of almost $300 million.
"It's a difficult situation, Pakistan and Iran have hosted 90% of the 2.2 million Afghan refugees that have been registered now, for forty years. That's a long time, that is a lot of responsibility. They need support from the international community to continue to host both the Afghans who are there and any new arrivals," Clements said.
Up to half a million Afghans could flee their homeland by year-end, UNHCR said on Friday (August 27), appealing to all neighbouring countries to keep their borders open for those seeking safety.
Taliban officials have urged Afghans not to leave, saying they are needed to help them run the country and make it prosper in the future.
(Production: Jehad Abu Shalbak, Muath Freij, Hams Rabah) - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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