The concluding Statement of One-day Panel Presentation on Continued need of assistance/Services to the Afghan Refugees on May, 5, 2004 by AWRC

The one-day panel participants discussed several issues regarding the Afghan refugees status in Pakistan.

The panel distinguished members Mr. Afrasiab Khattak,- prominent social-political and human rights activist and ex-chair person of HRCP, Miss Partawmina Hasheemi – Director AWRC, Ms. Rakhshanda Naz – Director Aurat Foundation, Mr. Wahid Khattak – Coordinator Social Welfare (CAR), Mr. Babrak Shinwari – Director NAAB Action foundation, Mr. Ayub from Dost Welfare Foundation highlighted various immediate problems of Afghan refugees living in Pakistan and the continued need of assistance to the Afghan refugees women and children in Pakistan.

This was highlighted that the international community especially the UN agencies stopped their assistance to hundred thousands of Afghan refugees in different areas in Pakistan which could cause a serious humanitarian crises.

This is a fact that the huge number of Afghan refugees which is above one and half million are living in Pakistan could not repatriate in a very short time because of the objective problems existing in Afghanistan for theirlivelyhood and proper and sustainable resettlement in their native places.

The contents of the Tri-partite agreement are not clear for the Afghan refugees and are mostly not based on ground realities.

Those hundred of thousands of Afghans who are remaining here are human beings and have real needs for their existence.

The UNHCR has not dealt the Afghan refugees problems according to the international norms for the refugees. There is clear approach to this problem because refugees in other countries get more benefits and facilities which are not comparable. For the returnees, very minimum package could not fulfill the requirements and immediate needs of the returnees’ families.

The Afghan refugees’ problems were dealt politically and not with the standards recognized for the refugees world wide.

If the international donors and agencies fully stop their misery aid to the Afghan refugees here in Pakistan, it will cause humanitarian disaster and we that tripartite agreement contents should be followed and Afghan refugees will be given the chance to repatriate voluntarily with dignity and honor without impulsion and force.

The government of Pakistan should provide temporary IDs for these who are remaining here and to be treated freely specially the women fold and children. Then UNHCR and the government of Pakistan and Afghanistan should immediately resolve the problems of 25 thousand Afghan refugees living in Kacha Basties Camps in Islamabad and give them time for their repatriation according to the tri-partite agreement.

The problems of half million Afghan refugees living in the tribal built camps should be resolved according to the interaction norms for their refugees.

The UNHCR should not encourage repatriation process without real grounds and not to increase it artificially

The Afghan government should provide special package from the international aid for the Afghan returnees and should insist on it.

Due to the misery life condition and lack of proper treatment of Afghan refugees, many Afghan become addicted to drugs and this is a humanitarian problem which needs proper solution and approach from the two governments and international agencies.

It is also to be mentioned that until 2005 the educational facilities should be provided for Afghans and educational institutes should not be closed.