A RAHA Secretariat in Islamabad
Press Release
ISLAMABAD: The UN Refugee Agency on Wednesday inaugurated a newly-constructed Refugee Affected and Hosting Area (RAHA) Secretariat building in Islamabad.
The building was constructed jointly by UNHCR and The United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS), and the facility was opened in a joint ceremony by the Ministry of States and Frontier Regions (SAFRON), UNHCR and UNOPS. Other RAHA actors, including UN sister agencies and German Government agencies also attended the event.
Speaking at the occasion, UNHCR’s Representative in Pakistan, Neill Wright, said that the opening ceremony marks the start of improved national RAHA coordination under one roof during the expansion of the RAHA initiative. “This building will help to bring the RAHA team together to better plan and implement strategies in a well-coordinated manner,” the UNHCR Representative explained.
In order to augment management and implementation capacity as discussed in the stakeholders’ conference on RAHA, the Representative noted the importance of consolidating RAHA structures both in Islamabad and in the provinces.
“RAHA is the largest component of the Solutions Strategy for Afghan Refugees (SSAR), accounting for almost 80 per cent of donor contributions for implementing that strategy in Pakistan,” he added.
The Representative lauded the efforts of the Government of Pakistan, participating UN Agencies and donors in bringing RAHA to its current level of success. He advocated for continued engagement, “If we are to maintain this progress, we must deepen, broaden and strengthen our partnership with the active cooperation of all stakeholders, under the leadership of the Government of Pakistan.”
The Chief Commissioner of Afghan Refugees, Dr Imran Zeb, present at the occasion, said that the Government of Pakistan attached utmost importance to the RAHA initiative, stating, “The impact of RAHA has been enormous. The Government appreciates the team work demonstrated by the RAHA programme.”
He announced that by 30 June, he anticipates the government having in place a new national strategy outlining the future policies regarding Afghan refugees in Pakistan.
Page 9 of 21
-
Refugees turned the desert green
28 Dec 2018Refugees turned the desert green News story CHAGHI, 28 December 2018: Afghan refugees in the remote district of Chagai putting in efforts to transform the rocks and desert into the green farms – contributing to the local economy and a better environment. Posti Refugee village is a self-sufficient organic farm […]
-
Launching of the Global Education Monitoring
22 Nov 2018Migration, displacement and education: Building bridges, not walls
-
Winter suspension of facilitated voluntary repatriation from Pakistan
20 Nov 2018Winter suspension of facilitated voluntary repatriation from Pakistan All registered Afghans in possession of valid Proof of Registration (PoR) cards are informed that UNHCR’s facilitated voluntary repatriation process will be suspended from 1 December 2018 until 28 February 2019 due to the winter season. The facilitated voluntary repatriation process will resume on 1 March 2019. During […]
-
UNHCR to train refugee women in Karachi to become artisans
19 Nov 2018UNHCR to train refugee women in Karachi to become artisans Country representative inaugurates skills training centre Press Release KARACHI, 19 November 2018: UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency on Monday inaugurated a skills development centre for vulnerable Afghan and non-Afghan refugees in Karachi. The project opened by UNHCR Representative in Pakistan, […]
-
Education: Afghan refugees studying in refugee villages
15 Oct 2018Refugee children will receive government of Pakistan certificates demonstrating their proficiency at primary, secondary and college levels.
-
UNHCR welcomes Pakistan’s decision to extend stay of Afghan refugees
5 Oct 2018UNHCR welcomes Pakistan’s decision to extend stay of Afghan refugees Press Release ISLAMABAD 5 October: The UN refugee agency welcomed the federal government’s decision to extend the Proof of Registration (PoR) cards to some 1.4 million Afghan refugees in Pakistan until 30 June 2019. “The decision will provide relief and […]
-
Afghan refugee elder sees no progress without girls education
5 Oct 2018Afghan refugee elder sees no progress without girls education News story QUETTA, 5 OCTOBER 2018: Though Mohammad Agha and his children could not acquire an education for themselves due to war and poverty, he has now become an advocate for education and visits local homes to convince parents to send […]
-
Japan pledges USD 2.7 million to support Afghan refugees and Pakistani youth
3 Oct 2018Press Release ISLAMABAD, 3 October 2018: The government of Japan Wednesday pledged a contribution of USD 2.7 million to support refugees and host communities across Pakistan. This contribution will support UNHCR’s interventions in the areas of health, livelihoods, as well as the provision of legal support to around 1.39 million […]
-
UNHCR Voluntary Repatriation Centres will remain closed during Ashura, Muharram
19 Sep 2018UNHCR Voluntary Repatriation Centres will remain closed during Ashura, Muharram Afghan refugees holding Proof of Registration (PoR) or UNHCR-issued documents, who are planning to return to Afghanistan from Pakistan under the UN Refugee Agency’s facilitated voluntary repatriation programme are informed, that the UNHCR Voluntary Repatriation Centres (VRC) in Azakhel, Nowshera […]
-
Joint Communique: Issued by the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, Mr. Filippo Grandi and SAFRON
10 Sep 2018Joint Communique: Issued by the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, Mr. Filippo Grandi and the Ministry of States and Frontier Regions on the occasion of the UN High Commissioner’s visit to Pakistan 8 September 2018 This Communique is being issued in pursuance of the High Commissioner’s meetings with the representatives […]