Islamabad- 20 June 2021 (TDI): World Refugee Day is celebrated internationally on 20th June. Pakistan is also observing World Refugee Day by bringing under the spotlight that there are 1.4 million registered Afghan refugees in Pakistan according to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). Pakistan with the rest of the world pays homage to the millions of people who have been displaced from their countries as a result of conflicts, wars, and natural disasters. Pakistan is the third-largest host country for refugees after Turkey and Colombia and is home to 1.4 million registered refugees from neighboring war-torn Afghanistan. The actual number of Afghan refugees in Pakistan is estimated to be much higher at around 2.5 million. Pakistan is in a health crisis. There were about 175,000 confirmed coronavirus cases and nearly 3,400 people died from the disease. The number of people is increasing every day, leading to partial closures and movement restrictions imposed by the government.
Qaiser Afridi, a spokesperson for UNHCR Pakistan, says his organization is working with the federal and provincial governments, WHO, NGOs, and other UN agencies to ensure that Afghan refugees are included in national preparedness and response plans for COVID-19. Pakistan, including a cash assistance program, had given 12000 rs via the Ehsaas program. Pakistan’s generosity as a host is remarkable.
