Afghan ambassador to Canada makes urgent call for food aid and to ‘expedite’ refugees – National
The Afghan ambassador is urging Canada to ship officers to Pakistan and different international locations bordering Afghanistan to assist “speed up” the passage of refugees fleeing the Taliban.
In an interview with The Canadian Press, Hassan Soroosh, Afghanistan’s ambassador to Canada, mentioned there was an pressing have to “expedite” the exodus, notably of these liable to Taliban persecution.
Soroosh praised Canada for main worldwide efforts to assist refugees, and for its humanitarian program set as much as give Afghan girls leaders, human-rights activists, LGBTQ individuals and others liable to persecution a protected haven in Canada.
Nonetheless, he mentioned he has heard from Afghans who’ve requested the United Nations Excessive Commissioner for Refugees to be referred to the Canadian program who’re nonetheless ready for his or her functions to be processed.
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“As far as we perceive ? they haven’t but began their processing,” he mentioned of the UNHCR.
The humanitarian program, first introduced in August, is certainly one of two Canadian refugee streams meant to deliver 40,000 Afghans to Canada in complete.
The diplomat _ who was talking in Ottawa, the place he has been for 2 years _ mentioned the worldwide neighborhood ought to put strain on the Taliban to reopen Afghanistan’s airports to evacuate extra individuals determined to flee.
“It is extremely vital to extend the frequency of business evacuation flights,” he mentioned. Solely two main airports are at present open in Afghanistan, together with Kabul.
Canadian residents and 1000’s of Afghans are nonetheless stranded in Afghanistan, despite the fact that they’ve permission to return to Canada.
“It’s a longtime indisputable fact that there are individuals at excessive threat, who concern for his or her lives and wish to depart the nation,” mentioned Soroosh.
Some 1,700 interpreters and different Afghans who helped the Canadian army and non-governmental organizations are sheltering in protected homes in Kabul. However due to lack of funding, a number of the protected homes face closure subsequent week.
The ambassador mentioned “one other vital precedence” was “the necessity to speed up resettlement applications” for the “many individuals who’ve been capable of make it to a neighbouring nation over the previous few weeks.” They “nonetheless face a extreme unsure future,” he mentioned.
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“There may be want for higher co-ordination, elevated capability and there’s want for sustaining strain on the Taliban by way of permitting protected passage for these nonetheless in Afghanistan,” he mentioned.
Soroosh steered Canada may bolster its diplomatic posts in Pakistan and different neighbouring international locations to course of Afghan functions to return to Canada.
Canada may additionally ship employees to assist the United Nations in Pakistan and different close by states to hurry referrals to Canada’s humanitarian program, he mentioned.
He warned Afghans who’ve fled over the border shouldn’t have the means to help themselves for lengthy.
The ambassador urged Canada and different western international locations to offer pressing meals help to Afghanistan, to fend off a “tragic and alarming” humanitarian tragedy this winter. He warned that, with out assist, the nation faces a “disaster.” A UN report this week predicted greater than half of Afghanistan’s inhabitants may starve with out worldwide help.
Although Canada doesn’t acknowledge the Taliban, the Canadian authorities may funnel help by the UN or unbiased non-governmental organizations, he mentioned.
Soroosh warned the nation risked financial collapse, due to a scarcity of cash, and that many banks had been closing. A “mind drain” of engineers, docs, teachers and different professionals fleeing overseas will make it more durable for civil society to operate.
The ambassador warned that if poverty will increase in Afghanistan, help may develop for the Islamic State militant group which is vying with the Taliban for management of components of the nation. He warned that ISIS “is a actuality and it’s rising within the nation.”
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The ambassador outlined a string of human rights abuses in Afghanistan, together with stopping ladies going to secondary college, the closure of state universities, persecution of artists, and the displacement of minority teams, together with the Hazara individuals. He mentioned Afghans who labored with the earlier authorities had been additionally being pressured from their properties.
He mentioned the Taliban ought to be pressured to permit unbiased human-rights observers into the nation, to observe and catalogue abuses, as a situation of worldwide help.
“There may be want for a global monitoring and investigation group. It is extremely vital to doc human-rights violations,” he mentioned. “Taliban have imposed many restrictions particularly on girls and ladies depriving them of their very fundamental rights, entry to training and the suitable to work.”
The ambassador isn’t in touch with the Taliban and he and his employees are being paid from the embassy’s reserves. He says he’s staying on to characterize the nation and its individuals _ not the Taliban regime.
“We don’t converse to them in any respect. We don’t have any strains of communication with Kabul,” he mentioned. “All our missions are mainly representing the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan and we’re very a lot dedicated to persevering with our operations.”
The ambassador, who has beforehand held diplomatic posts in Washington, Tokyo and Vienna, mentioned that even after the cash runs out he would “discover methods to proceed” to characterize the Afghan individuals.
“It’s an ethical obligation,” he mentioned.
© 2021 The Canadian Press
