KABUL (TOLOnews): The US Special Representative Thomas West, in a meeting with Indrika Ratwatte, UNAMA Deputy Special Representative for Afghanistan and Resident Coordinator and Humanitarian Coordinator, talked about the support for Afghan refugees and the humanitarian and economic situation in Afghanistan.
West on X pledged the US’s continued partnership with UNAMA to address these challenges.
“Discussed support for Afghan refugees and the humanitarian and economic situation in Afghanistan. Look forward to continuing our strong partnership with UNAMA on these challenges,” West said.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Norway in a statement said that it allocated nearly $7 million to support Afghans and returnees from Pakistan.
“Norway increases its support for Afghanistan with USD 3.8 million (NOK 40 million) to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and USD 2.9 million (NOK 30 million) to the UN World Food Program (WFP), due to the large influx of Afghans repatriated from Pakistan,” the statement reads.
The statement said that Norway remains committed to supporting the humanitarian response in Afghanistan.
In the meantime, the acting Minister of Refugees and Repatriation, Khalil Rahman Haqqani, in a meeting with Amy Pope, the Director General of the International Organization for Migration, asked the organization to increase its assistance to returnees in Afghanistan.
“We ask those organizations that help immigrants and are working in the immigration section, to work transparently and in cooperation with the institutions of the Islamic Emirate and continue their assistances to the immigrants,” the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan’s spokesman, Zabihullah Mujahid said.
“The international community so far, has provided assistance under different names to those Afghan immigrants which came from Pakistan. But unfortunately, no fundamental assistance has been provided by them, and the Islamic Emirate also has not provided fundamental assistance to the immigrants,” Abdul Basir Taraki, an economist told TOLOnews.
The Ministry of Economy said that the Islamic Emirate has so far provided the necessary assistance in the areas of shelter construction, food and sanitation to immigrants deported from other countries, especially Pakistan.
“The Islamic Emirate has a plan for immigrants in the fields of health, shelter and education, and it has implanted its major parts,” said Abdul Latif Nazari, Deputy of the Ministry of Economy.
Earlier, nine international non-governmental organizations expressed their concerns regarding the situation of immigrants returning from Pakistan to Afghanistan.
West, Ratwatte discuss situation in Afghanistan
