New SSAR Support Platform refocuses international attention on displaced Afghans

On the margins of the Global Refugee Forum held on 16-18 December in Geneva, Switzerland, the governments of the Islamic Republics of Afghanistan, Iran and Pakistan came together with UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, to launch a new Support Platform for the Solutions Strategy for Afghan Refugees (SSAR).

Forty years on from the start of the conflict in Afghanistan, finding solutions for the millions of Afghans who remain displaced is key to the country and the region’s collective future. There are some 4.6 million Afghan children, women and men outside of Afghanistan, of whom 2.7 million are registered refugees. Iran is host to nearly one million Afghan refugees. In addition, over two million Afghans are estimated to live in Iran either without documentation or on national passports.

Since 2012, the SSAR has facilitated dialogue, coordinated response, consensus-building and partnerships for the Afghan refugee situation.

“The hospitality and solidarity that Iran and Pakistan have demonstrated to Afghan refugees is at the heart of the Global Compact on Refugees and what this Global Refugee Forum wants to promote,” said Filippo Grandi, UNHCR’s High Commissioner.

“This new Support Platform gives us an important window to mobilize additional resources and support for refugees in Iran and Pakistan. We need to remind the world that this situation cannot be forgotten and deserves the support of the entire international community.”

Also sitting on the panel was Dr. Forouzan Taheri, who arrived in Mashhad, Iran, as a one-year-old child when her parents fled violence in Herat, Afghanistan.

“In Iran, I was able to go to primary and secondary school. I was given the same opportunity as Iranians; we went to school together and studied the same classes. I persevered and was dedicated in my studies,” she said to a room comprised of humanitarian and development partners, civil society organizations and private sector representatives, among others.

“I went to university in Iran – unlike 97% of refugees in other countries, for whom secondary school is too often the end of their educational journey.”

Forouzan holds a PhD in Urban Planning from Ferdowsi University and knows that education is the key to equipping refugees with the tools they need to one day be able to build a better future for themselves, their families and their home country.

“I am grateful that being a refugee and living far from home did not mean that I could not get an education, find my passion and my strength. I can only wish that this opportunity is extended to every refugee child around the world,” added Forouzan. “We need to give them the skills, the knowledge and the self-confidence they need to be able to start their lives over again.”

The audience also heard from Onaba Payab, a former Afghan refugee, and Hina Shikhani, an Afghan refugee born in Pakistan who is now studying Business Administration at the University of Peshawar thanks to the DAFI scholarship programme. As a young refugee, Hina has faced a range of challenges that have led her to become a passionate advocate for refugees’ access to higher education and self-reliance. Her ultimate goal is to return to Afghanistan one day and make a difference.

“When I’m equipped with skills and knowledge I want to go back to my country and help young women and youth stand up for themselves,” she said.

During the event, the three countries reiterated their commitment to working together to protect and find lasting solutions for refugees. These range from allowing refugees to work, study and contribute to the countries hosting them, to supporting voluntary return to their homeland.

Enhancing the capacity for voluntary return to Afghanistan is one of the three key objectives of the SSAR. UNHCR continues to support Afghans who wish to return home. As a key priority for the operation, UNHCR will reinforce its activities to better understand the needs and concerns of Afghans in Iran and will continue explore ways to make returns possible and sustainable.

“The extraordinary effort made by Iran and Pakistan to host millions of refugees has not been just humanitarian – it has gone beyond. It has meant the inclusion of refugees in services, in local economies, acceptance by local communities etc,” said Filippo Grandi.

“The extraordinary effort made by Iran and Pakistan to host millions of refugees has not been just humanitarian – it has gone beyond. It has meant the inclusion of refugees in services, in local economies, acceptance by local communities etc.”

said Filippo Grandi

The new Support Platform will aim to reinforce and enhance these efforts; it will help ensure that humanitarian and development investments go hand in hand.

Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister, Mr Gholam Hossein Dehghani, said he hoped the platform would encourage investments in workable and practical approaches to the Afghan refugee situation. “The SSAR support platform is a test case for the Global Compact on Refugees, as now it is high time for the international community to bring a balance and shoulder its responsibility, as Iran has been doing a lot,” he added.

The launch of this Support Platform comes at a time when Iran urgently needs additional humanitarian support to ensure education and other services to refugees can be maintained.

“We are happy to launch this platform but without additional support, it will not work,” said Filippo Grandi with concern.

Despite huge economic challenges, Iran has remained committed to sustaining assistance and protection for Afghan refugees. But this cannot be managed alone and will require greater efforts by the international community at the Global Refugee Forum and beyond.