- Title: World should send pledged aid to Afghans to avert refugee crisis -UNHCR
- Date: 9th October 2021
- Summary: ISLAMABAD, PAKISTAN (OCTOBER 9, 2021) (REUTERS) UNITED NATIONS HIGH COMMISSIONER FOR REFUGEES (UNHCR) SPOKESPERSON, BABAR BALOCH SITTING (SOUNDBITE) (English) UNITED NATIONS HIGH COMMISSIONER FOR REFUGEES (UNHCR) SPOKESPERSON, BABAR BALOCH, SAYING: "The humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan remains really dire. Afghanistan has a population of 40 million which are still in the country, Afghans who are living there. Half of them, nearly 20 million, even before the events of 15th August were relying on humanitarian support, and we have seen that this year, during 2021, so far nearly 700,000 Afghans have been displaced just this year and this kind of takes total displaced people that are only affected by conflict to 3.5 million. So we are now in a race against time to help and support vulnerable, desperate Afghans, and winter is just around the corner. Our fear is if they are not helped as soon as possible, the consequences of this could be really, really worrying and more problematic." BALOCH'S HANDS DURING INTERVIEW (SOUNDBITE) (English) UNITED NATIONS HIGH COMMISSIONER FOR REFUGEES (UNHCR) SPOKESPERSON, BABAR BALOCH, SAYING: "It can be averted and it must be averted. Another humanitarian tragedy should be avoided at all costs." UNHCR LOGO ON BALOCH’S JACKET (SOUNDBITE) (English) UNITED NATIONS HIGH COMMISSIONER FOR REFUGEES (UNHCR) SPOKESPERSON, BABAR BALOCH, SAYING: "Those pledges have to turn into reality, the cash has to be there for us to step in and support more and more Afghans." BALOCH LISTENING (SOUNDBITE) (English) UNITED NATIONS HIGH COMMISSIONER FOR REFUGEES (UNHCR) SPOKESPERSON, BABAR BALOCH, SAYING: "Our worry is Afghan suffering will increase, the impact will be inside Afghanistan in terms of more suffering, more displacement, but also it could be beyond Afghanistan as well, the effect on the region in terms of displacement, not only to countries like Pakistan and Iran that have been generous hosts for decades of Afghan refugees, but beyond." BALOCH'S HANDS DURING INTERVIEW (SOUNDBITE) (English) UNITED NATIONS HIGH COMMISSIONER FOR REFUGEES (UNHCR) SPOKESPERSON, BABAR BALOCH, SAYING: "We hope that we will get our 100% strength back in terms of our work because of our female colleagues in some areas being able to return, but in many they can't. So, still we are trying to look towards the promises that we have heard, towards the good signs that we have been given that our job and work will be easier to do inside Afghanistan." BALOCH TALKING TO REPORTER KABUL, AFGHANISTAN (FILE - AUGUST 26, 2021) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF DISPLACED AFGHAN FAMILIES SITTING ON GROUND CHILDREN SITTING ON MAT WITH WOMAN MAN CARRYING MATS DISPLACED PEOPLE SITTING ON GROUND
- Embargoed: 23rd October 2021 16:20
- Keywords: Afghan refugees Babar Baloch Pakistan UNHCR United Nations humanitarian crisis
- Location: ISLAMABAD, PAKISTAN / KABUL, AFGHANISTAN
- City: ISLAMABAD, PAKISTAN / KABUL, AFGHANISTAN
- Country: Pakistan
- Topics: Asia / Pacific,Asylum/Immigration/Refugees,Government/Politics
- Reuters ID: LVA001EYFQYIV
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text:The world should urgently provide promised aid to Afghanistan, the U.N. refugee agency said on Saturday (October 9), warning that a lack of resources is hampering efforts to avert an economic crisis that could push fresh flows of refugees to its neighbours and beyond.
"The humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan remains really dire," Babar Baloch, spokesperson for the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees, said in an interview in Islamabad.
"Another humanitarian tragedy should be avoided at all costs," he said
Since the Taliban took over Afghanistan on August 15, the country - already struggling with drought and severe poverty from decades of war - has seen its economy all but collapse.
Most of the nation's international assistance has been cut off, though there are exceptions for humanitarian aid. Billions of dollars in central bank assets held abroad have also been frozen, which has put pressure on the banking system.
"Our worry is Afghan suffering will increase, the impact will be inside Afghanistan in terms of more suffering, more displacement, but also it could be beyond Afghanistan as well, the effect on the region in terms of displacement, not only to countries like Pakistan and Iran that have been generous hosts for decades of Afghan refugees, but beyond," he added.
The total needed for humanitarian operations in Afghanistan in the next few months is $600 million, Baloch said, and only 35% of that had been provided by international donors, despite promises at a recent conference in Geneva where donors pledged more than $1 billion in aid.
"Those pledges have to turn into reality, the cash has to be there for us to step in and support more and more Afghans," he said.
U.N. agencies are engaging with members of the Taliban administration, he said, adding there were some positive signs but one key issue was ensuring female local staff were able to get back to work in all parts of the country.
(Production: Salah Uddin, Shahabuddin Shahab) - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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