ISLAMABAD – US Deputy Assistant Secretary for Population, Refugees andMigration Nancy Izzo Jackson Thursday said the United States would continueto provide humanitarian assistance to all refugees hosting countries,including Pakistan.
Besides it would make sincere efforts to create an environment inAfghanistan conducive to volunteer repatriation of Afghan refugees, shetold a select gathering of journalists here at the US embassy whileexpressing her inability to give any time frame for their honourable andsafe return.
She said that Pakistan would not be left alone in its efforts to providesecurity, food and shelter to the Afghan refugees and America had asked theWorld Bank to create a new facility to be participated by other countriesto meet the requirements of the refugees. Pakistan is eligible to availthis facility.
She said that some 2.9 billion dollars had been provided by her governmentas humanitarian assistance for the refugees since 2002 and 214 milliondollars were spent under that head in 2017.
During her ongoing visit to Pakistan, Nancy Jackson held discussions withFederal Minister for States and Frontier Regions (SAFRON) LieutenantGeneral (R) Abdul Qadir Baloch, Chief of General Staff General Bilal Akbar,and other senior officials at the ministries of Foreign Affairs andInterior, and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).She also met Afghan Ambassador to Pakistan Dr. Omar Zakhilwal.
She recognized Pakistan’s generosity for hosting one of the largest,most-protracted refugee populations in the world for nearly 40 years. Sheencouraged the Government of Pakistan to work with UNHCR and the Afghangovernment on a plan that supported voluntary, sustainable, and dignifiedrepatriation of Afghan refugees.Nancy, a career member of the Senior Executive Service, scheduled to leavefor Afghanistan on Saturday,said that she had earlier visited Pakistan from May 31 to June 3 last year.Responding to a query, she said that hosting refugees for four decades wasquite a long period but refugees should not be considered as securitythreat. She was of the view that all the refugees should not be punishedfor the misdeeds of the few.She said that Pakistan was eager to repatriate the Afghan refugees and shewas happy to note that thePakistan’s cabinet had extended tenure of the Proof of Registration cardsfor another two months.As the largest single-country contributor for humanitarian assistance inPakistan and the region, she said, since 2002 the United States hadprovided, through the UNHCR and other partners, nearly $2.9 billion tosupport Afghan refugees, returnees, affected Afghan population, and thePakistani communities and others who hosted them.The US was keen to have stability in Afghanistan and making sincere effortsto carry out development thereto help safe and voluntary return of the refugees, she added.To a question about the financial immigration, she said that every countryhad to deal with the immigration laws and controls but the children of therefugees who were born in Pakistan and doing businesses were by defaultrefugees. Their parents could get them registered on their cards, she added.We share Pakistan’s hope that all refugees will return to their countryhonorably, safely and with dignity. We are trying to create an environmentthat is conducive for their repatriation, she said.Responding to a question, Nancy said the Afghan government was cooperatingwith Pakistan in the process of registration of the refugees. She alsopointed out that despite the unfavorable conditions in Afghanistan,refugees had been returning throughout the yesteryear.She said the United States and Pakistan were partners in their enduringcommitment to humanitarian assistance believing that they have aresponsibility to help those who are suffering from violence, persecutionor conflict. – APP