Monitoring Desk
ISLAMABAD: The UN Refugee Agency, UNHCR, on 1 February, announced a one-time monetary aid scheme for around 1.3 million Afghan refugees in Pakistan affected by the devastating 2022 floods and the current economic circumstances.
In partnership with the Government of Pakistan, assistance is being provided to refugees who do not have access to social safety nets available to Pakistani citizens. The program is based on the government’s emergency payment program for flood-affected vulnerable Pakistani families.
According to family size, registered Afghan refugees can receive up to PKR 25,000.
The initiative was launched on Thursday with UNHCR’s Regional Director for Asia and the Pacific, Indrika Ratwatte, by Muhammad Talha Mahmood, the Minister for State and Frontier Regions (SAFRON), and Habib Bank Limited’s Chief Representative, Mr. Mohammad Ali Syed. The event also attracted representatives from many donor countries.
Ratwatte stated that we are delighted to collaborate with our longtime partner, the Government of Pakistan, through its SAFRON Ministry and Habib Bank Limited – for the first time — to assist Afghans devastated by the disastrous floods and who continue to face challenging economic conditions.
This support comes in addition to the emergency flood response of UNHCR for Afghan refugees and affected Pakistani host communities.
He added that the partnership is UNHCR’s first private sector involvement with the country’s banking system, indicating the country’s dedication to finding new measures to serve vulnerable Afghans. In the run-up to the Global Refugee Forum later this year, he hopes they can continue to expand on this partnership.
UN High Commissioner for Refugees working with Pakistan
UNHCR continues to assist Pakistan in its recovery from last year’s devastating floods, with a particular emphasis on asylum-seeker areas. 800,000 refugees live in monsoon-affected areas. The Minister of SAFRON, Muhammad Talha Mahmood, welcomed continued international assistance for Pakistani host communities and Afghan refugees.
He claimed that for more than 40 years, our nation has generously helped Afghan refugees living here. We stick to our promise to help even while we encounter difficulties. However, we are unable to do it alone. Thus, we need further international assistance in keeping with the UN Refugee Compact’s global commitment to share responsibility for refugees.
Habib Bank Limited’s Chief Representative, Mohammad Ali Syed, welcomed the opportunity to work with UNHCR and the Government of Pakistan to provide cash assistance. He declared that our bank is devoted to high standards of accountability and delivery.
We are pleased to contribute and show how our advanced banking system can effectively provide this crucial humanitarian cash assistance to refugees in Pakistan.
Sustained international support for Pakistan is needed to develop solutions for Afghan refugees, especially within the context of the Support Platform for the Afghan Refugee Solutions Strategy.
For more information: https://ssar-platform.org/
