Afghanistan and Pakistan: Raise Voices for Civilian Protection

This post from Refugees International dated January 26, 2009 was recently submitted to C4SP.

The humanitarian situation has severely deteriorated over the past year in Afghanistan and Pakistan, creating more displacement and vulnerability. To promote stability, the international community must better balance development and humanitarian assistance and target returnees to Afghanistan as well as displaced people in both countries. Donor governments must allocate budgets based on need, not on political objectives. The UN must raise its voice on concerns related to protecting civilians. Whether by establishing an independent OCHA office or appointing dedicated senior humanitarian staff, the UN must talk to all factions and send a clear message that it is determined to fulfill its humanitarian mandate.

Policy recommendations from Refugees International
* The U.S. administration should increase the Office of U.S. Foreign Disaster Assistance's budget to fund programs targeted at internally displaced people in both Afghanistan and Pakistan.
* UNDP should establish and chair the early recovery cluster in Afghanistan.
* The UN should be more vocal about the protection of civilians in both Afghanistan and Pakistan.
* The U.S. should contribute to Refugee Affected Host Areas programs and humanitarian appeals in Pakistan.
* The UN humanitarian agencies and NGOs should engage with all factions to secure access to vulnerable populations in Pakistan.
* The UN should establish an independent OCHA office in Pakistan or appoint a senior deputy Humanitarian Coordinator based in Peshawar.

We welcome comments regarding this and other news and posts.

Thank you,
The C4SP Team