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Iran Pledges Relief Aid to Afghan Refugees
Iranian President Mohammad Khatami on Wednesday announced his country's readiness to provide the Afghan refugees with any type of humanitarian relief aid, the official IRNA news agency reported.
During a meeting with United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) Ruud Lubbers, Khatami said that Iran will spare no efforts to supply relief aid to Afghan refugees in cooperation with the U.N..
He expressed hope that peace and security will be established in Afghanistan and the pains and disasters of the Afghans will be diminished as a result of the tact and benefaction of the U.N. as well as those running for justice.
"I believe that human conscience calls on the world community to listen to the agony of the oppressed nation of Afghanistan and attempt to alleviate their disaster and establish peace and security, " Khatami said.
More than 2 million Afghan refugees are currently residing in Iran.
"A government represented by all Afghan ethnic groups should take over in Afghanistan by joint contribution of the U.N. and regional states to provide the needed ground for the actual sovereignty of people over their own fate through an overall polling," Khatami said.
He stressed that the only way to combat the problems facing the Afghans is to establish a solid, authoritative and popular sovereignty.
Lubbers arrived here earlier Wednesday from Pakistan to persuade Afghanistan's neighboring countries to open their borders to more war-stricken Afghans.
He appreciated the efforts taken by Iran and Pakistan to supply humanitarian aid and their contribution to the provision of further U.N. relief aid to Afghan refugees, calling for further extension of global relief aid to the oppressed Afghan nation.
Establishing order and security in Afghanistan is the only effective way to prevent Afghan refugees from becoming homeless, Lubbers stressed.
After the meeting, Lubbers held a press conference and called on Iran to have close cooperation with the UNHCR and open its borders to the Afghan refugees in need.
The UNHCR is to continue such dialogues with Iranian officials on the issue in the coming days, he noted, saying that during his "frank" discussions with Khatami and Iranian officials, Iran pledged to guarantee safety and security for humanitarian efforts for
Afghan refugees.
The U.S. has been pounding the Afghan ruling Taliban militia since October 7 for harboring Saudi-born Osama bin Laden, the prime suspect of the September 11 terror attacks on Washington and New York.
Iran has closed its 900-kilometer border with Afghanistan to prevent the influx of refugees after the U.S. strikes. Meanwhile, it has set up refugee camps at the border inside Afghanistan with the help of international organizations.
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