(Ottawa) Canada and its international partners must do much more to support countries neighboring Afghanistan if they are to help vulnerable Afghans flee their country now controlled by the Taliban, said a UN official.
Kelly Clements, the United Nations Deputy High Commissioner for Refugees, told The Canadian Press this week that Iran and Pakistan lack funds to deal with the influx of Afghans who have tried to flee the country since. that the Taliban regained power in mid-August.
Many former performers and their families face retaliation from the Taliban for their support of the NATO military mission, in which Canada, the United States and many other countries have participated for twenty years .
Other vulnerable Afghans, women in particular, face a grim future in the Taliban regime and hope to flee the country. While waiting to be able to flee, these threatened Afghans are hiding in “safe havens” in their country.
Canada has agreed to resettle up to 40,000 Afghans, but in the meantime non-governmental organizations say funds are drying up to maintain these “safe havens” in Afghanistan, which could endanger up to 1,700 people.
Mme Clements has not commented on these shelters, but admits that Canada’s commitment to resettle Afghans sets a solid example internationally. She believes, however, that much more should be done to strengthen the capacity of neighboring Iran and Pakistan to accommodate those who manage to escape the Taliban.
“The borders have been exceptionally tight,” said Mme Clements.
Support Iran and Pakistan
Even before the Taliban takeover, Pakistan had only half of the funds needed to support refugees, while Iran had only received a quarter, she said. “They really feel that the international community has not supported them enough. ”
The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) is working hard to help displaced people in Afghanistan, as record numbers fled the countryside for the cities as the Taliban advanced to victory in the summer latest.
This exodus created an unprecedented food crisis. Other UN agencies predicted earlier this week that more than half of the Afghan population – more than 22 million people – would face extreme famine in the coming months.
“There can be all kinds of reasons why people have to leave. But we try to help them where they are, ”said Mme Clements. “We are present in every province [afghane] and in two-thirds of the districts, and we have a number of partners that we work with. ”
Despite the Taliban takeover, UNHCR was able to maintain access to vulnerable populations, she said. “We have a long history of operational and local support in areas traditionally controlled by the Taliban. This commitment is therefore not new. ”
Those who can flee face tightly controlled border crossings, where documents, visas, passports and other travel documents are needed, but often scarce. “We would obviously like neighboring countries to allow these people to seek safety in their country,” she said.
Canada has experience
Canada’s commitment to resettle Afghans appears to be more focused on those already abroad. Butme Clements says this commitment is greatly appreciated internationally. “We have seen other countries raise their hands, which I think is due to Canada’s leadership. ”
Prior to the current crisis in Afghanistan, the UN ranked the country third in number of refugees, with 2.6 million, behind Venezuela at 4 million, and Syria at 6.7 million.
Mme Clements believes that Canada’s newcomer resettlement roadmap will serve him well in welcoming Afghans.
She argues that community sponsorships and other UN-funded programs have shown good success in giving refugees “the tools and support they need to start earning a living and supporting their families faster, and to give back to the world. Canada and the community. ”