The Government of Pakistan and the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR), have paid tribute to an Afghan refugee student who secured the second position in the matriculation exam conducted by the Mardan Board, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

The 16-year-old student named Mehboob-ur-Rehman scored 1090 marks out of 1100. Rehman lives with his family at the Manzlara refugee village in Nowshera. His father sells fruit at a local market.

“Mehboob-ur-Rehman deserves to be honored for this outstanding performance. We are proud of bright students like him who are passionate about achieving their goals,” said government officials from the SAFRON Ministry at a ceremony held in Islamabad in honor of the refugee student.

The UNHCR Representative in Pakistan, Ms. Noriko Yoshida, the School Principal, Mr. Mohammad Israr, and Rehman’s family attended the ceremony.

ISLAMABAD, 10 November 2020: UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency has provided emergency cash assistance to over 50,000 vulnerable Afghan refugee families impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic in Pakistan.

The UNHCR emergency cash programme follows the Government of Pakistan’s Ehsaas emergency cash programme, where vulnerable Pakistani families receive a one-off cash grant of Rs.12,000 (approximately $77). UNHCR is targeting 70,000 of the most vulnerable refugee families.

This assistance is being carried out in close collaboration with the Ministry of States and Frontier Regions (SAFRON) and with the Pakistan Post. The Pakistan Post is currently disbursing the emergency cash assistance.

On Tuesday, UNHCR’s Regional Director for Asia and the Pacific, Mr. Indrika Ratwatte – who is on a three-day visit to Pakistan – participated in the distribution of cash assistance to refugees at a Post Office in Islamabad. He also interacted with Afghan refugee elders. The UNHCR Representative in Pakistan, Ms. Noriko Yoshida, and senior officials from the Post Office were also present on the occasion.

Rawalpindi-German Ambassador Bernhard Schlagheck and Federal Minister of States and Frontier Regions (SAFRON) Sahibzada Muhammad Mehboob Sultan have inaugurated the ‘Urban Cohesion Hub’ in Rawalpindi here on Monday. The Hub is a community centre which will serve as a place for encounters between urban Afghan refugees and Pakistani host communities residing in Rawalpindi and Islamabad and will thereby help to foster social cohesion.

Funded by the German Federal Foreign Office and established in cooperation with the Chief Commissionerate for Afghan Refugees under the Ministry of SAFRON, the Hub is set to support more than 30,000 refugees and host community members with integrated services in health, education, skills training, legal support, and recreational activities. While welcoming all community members, the initiative emphasises supporting vulnerable groups including people with disabilities, working children, elderly people, youth, and women. Speaking at the inauguration ceremony of the Hub, Minister Sultan said, “For the last 40 years, Pakistanis have shown exemplary kindness, empathy and solidarity towards Afghan refugees in Pakistan. The Urban Cohesion Hub is a prime example of the German Government’s cooperation and assistance towards refugees and host communities.”

Ambassador Schlagheck, in his address, said the Urban Cohesion Hub is testimony to the close and multifaceted German-Pakistani bilateral relations which will witness their 70th anniversary this year. The services that will be provided through this Hub will promote peaceful coexistence in an important urban refugee affected and hosting area of Pakistan.”

The services provided at the Hub were developed through a participatory approach in consultation with the communities, the government, and UNHCR. Furthermore, the Hub’s approach is in line with regional and global policies to ease pressure on refugee-hosting countries and build self-reliance of refugees. The project is implemented by the GIZ Refugee Management Support Programme through ICMC.

30th Tripartite Commission Meeting  was held in Islamabad, Pakistan on 18 June 2019. The  meeting  was  attended   by the delegations of the  Islamic  Republic of Pakistan and Afghanistan and representatives of  the  Office  of  the  United   Nations   High  Commissioner  for  Refugees  (UNHCR)  in Afghanistan  and Pakistan.   The registered Afghan refugees were granted extention in their PoR and ACC identity as a result of conclusion/signing of this tripartite agreement. 

Every year on June 20, UNHCR marks the World Refugee Day. This year world refugee day was celebrated on 20th June 2019 at Marriott Hotel, Islamabad. In his speech to commemorate the World Refugee Day 2019, the Minister for States and Frontier Regions (SAFRON) Mr. Shehryar Khan Afridi said that the emerging and protracted situation such as that we had in Pakistan, had a direct and indirect impact on political, socio-economic, environmental and security of the host countries. He emphasized that in overall world statistics, 40 percent protracted refugee situations is in Pakistan. But Pakistan, despite not being a signatory to 1951 and the 1967 conventions and protocols of the United Nations on Refugees, had never faltered on its commitment to helping refugees. He said despite facing financial crunch situation, Pakistan had accommodated all the phases of influx of refugees that had been come regularly since 1980. Shehryar Khan Afridi said: “This had been our cornerstone to accommodate all and sundry that are in need and who seek help. Over the period of 40 years, we had developed good practices that can be replicated by all actors in the ambit of humanitarianism.” The Minister said Pakistan despite its meager resources, had provided protection, food, shelter and other necessities with excellent camp management, and adhered to principles to highest standard of hospitality with providing all provision of necessities in health and education and livelihood. The Minister shared that Pakistan is the first country to develop biometrics identity; even five-year-old child has biometrics and full identity under POR arrangement.  The Minister said Prime Minister Imran Khan and his team would give respect to Afghan refugees and would honor their traditions and culture. He said it was a pity that only developing countries were catering to the 85 percent of refugee hosting across the globe while Pakistan amidst its financial crisis situation was hosting Afghan refugees for the past 40 years. The Minister added that everyone had to contribute if we want global peace. In today’s world, governments are raising walls to stop immigrants; while Government of Pakistan is facilitating refugees since 1980.