UN Refugee chief says Afghanistan a priority despite Russia-Ukraine war
Mar 14, 2022
Kabul [Afghanistan], March 14 : A delegation led by Filippo Grandi, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) arrived in Kabul on Monday to assess Afghanistan's humanitarian situation and said that despite the Ukraine crisis, Afghanistan remains a priority for the UN's refugee agency.
"But I came here also to say that there is not just Ukraine, there are other crises in the world, other situations that need attention and Afghanistan is a priority for us," he said.
The UN's refugee agency chief said that he will meet with Islamic Emirate officials to discuss the humanitarian situation in the country, reported TOLO News.
"They agree very much that we must look at what are the solutions for the people who are refugees or displaced," he added.
Grandi's visit to the country comes as a report by the International Organization for Migration (IOM) estimated the number of internally displaced Afghans is nearly six million. "Over one-fifth of those individuals (1,327,474 or 23%) were displaced in 2021 as a result of conflict and natural disaster," the report said.
According to IOM's report, 8,495,365 former internally displaced persons have returned to their homes. From 2012 to 2021, 4,519,522 fled abroad and 5,149,245 migrants returned from abroad, the IOM said, reported TOLO News.
The Taliban's swift ascension to power in Afghanistan has triggered economic disarray and a dire humanitarian crisis in the country. Since the group came into power, they have cracked down on foreigners and women, at times forcing them to quit their jobs and depriving them of education.
The crimes against the protesters or whoever raises their voice against the Taliban-led government has also increased significantly in Afghanistan.
