Summary The current crisis could mark a new flag of shame, Maleeha Lodhi told UN Assembly's Third Committee.
(Web Desk) - Pakistan has called for urgent action to deal with a humanitarian crisis of historic proportions – a global wave of displaced persons and refugees – in Europe, the Middle East, North Africa as well as in South East Asia.
Addressing the UN Assembly’s Third Committee which deals with social, humanitarian and cultural questions, Pakistan s permanent representative to UN Dr. Maleeha Lodhi underscored the need for greater attention on conflict resolution saying the massive human movements are the consequences of conflicts.
"These massive human movements are the consequence of conflicts, persecution as well as poverty and injustice," she said.
The Pakistani envoy said: "As we speak, tens of thousands of refugees are desperately struggling to navigate through perilous situations – fleeing homes in fear, crossing seas in rickety boats, or waiting in queues for asylum in alien and often unwelcoming destinations."
She stated that the response of the international community to this unfolding tragedy has been slow and inadequate. The international community, to its shame, has ignored massive human suffering in the past.
The current crisis could mark a new flag of shame, she added.
The High Commissioner’s report shows that the number of the displaced has topped 60 million people globally. As many as 14 million new displacements took place in 2014 alone, the highest recorded in a single year. Yet only 127,000 were able to return home, the lowest number since 1983.
More than half of the total refugee population are children. This only magnifies the scale of the human tragedy at hand. In refugee settings, children suffer from lack of proper nutrition as well as access to education. They are also exposed to heightened risks of child labour, sexual abuse and other forms of exploitation.
Lodhi said: "Without appropriate protection, we risk losing a whole generation."
She said the Third Committee must make clear and actionable recommendations to the General Assembly to address the dire situation.
Maleeha Lodhi said Pakistan hosted millions of Afghan refugees for more than three decades despite limited resources.
"Despite our modest resources, Pakistan has been a host to millions of Afghan refugees for over three decades. We continue to be the world’s top refugee hosting country in terms of the largest, protracted refugee population anywhere," she said.
We urge the international community to help the Government of Afghanistan in creating the necessary conditions and pull factors for the permanent and safe return of refugees, she said.
Maleeha Lodhi hoped adequate international support would be provided to resolve the refugee situation in the world.
