Daily Times

The international development-financing instruments need to be redesigned and implemented in ways that do not worsen the already existing high debt burdens of refugee-hosting countries, as the number of displaced persons continues to surge, Pakistan has told a UN panel.

“Instead of concessional loans provided by international financial institutions … donors should provide timely, predictable and multi-year and sector-specific funding to refugee-hosting countries,” Ambassador Usman Jadoon, deputy permanent representative of Pakistan, said during an interactive debate with the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, Filipo Grandi, in the General Assembly’s Third Committee, which deals with Social. Humanitarian and Cultural matters.

As of May 2023, more than 110 million individuals were forcibly displaced worldwide, marking the largest ever single-year increase in forced displacement in UNHCR’s history, propelled by deadly conflicts.

Noting that the number of refugees and displaced persons continued to surge to record levels, the Pakistani envoy said, that the triple crisis of Covid-19 pandemic, climate change and conflicts continued to exacerbate the situation.

“The prevailing complex and multi-faceted challenges demand more robust and collective efforts to meet the growing protection needs, and to forge durable solutions through the implementation of all international commitments, including the Global Compact on Refugees,” Ambassador Jadoon said.

Despite its financial and security challenges, he said Pakistan has demonstrated unparalleled generosity and hospitality in hosting Afghan refugees for over four decades and adhered to the highest standards of protection and facilitation.

Pakistan, he said, hosts more than 1.4 million registered Afghan refugees and around 900,000 Afghan Citizenship Card holders, extending to them health and education facilities at par with Pakistani citizens. These refugees also enjoy free enrollment in Government primary schools and access to higher and professional education with generous scholarships as well as ample livelihood opportunities and the permission to open bank accounts.

Much more needs to be done to support refugees in developing countries like Pakistan, including through the following measures:

“Experience has demonstrated that voluntary repatriation and reintegration in the countries of origin is the only durable solution for protracted refugee situations,” Ambassador Jadoon said, while calling for fully funded programmes for repatriations from refugee-hosting countries and countries of origin; increase ODA (official development assistance) for countries of origin to enable them to receive returnees; invest in creating livelihood opportunities; and lift sanctions for providing humanitarian assistance, as in the case of Afghanistan.