A delegation from the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees is to visit Iran next month to make an assessment of the situation of refugees, especially Afghans, UNHCR’s representative in Iran said. In an interview with Tasnim News Agency published on Sunday, Sivanka Dhanapala also said the UN delegation will comprise envoys and representatives of UNHCR member states.
“The delegation will carry out an evaluation of conditions of refugees in Iran, particularly the Afghan refugees, and also plans to visit Mashhad due to the l arge number of Afghans the city is hosting,” he explained.
Dhanapala noted that the upcoming trip could greatly help attract international support for refugees in Iran. The envoy rejected claims that the UNHCR has in recent years shifted its attention away from Afghan refugees because of other regional conflicts, arguing that the conditions of Afghans may have been overshadowed by other developments in the media outlets, but the UN has not forgotten the Afghan people.
Over 800,000 registered Afghans, who have fled war and poverty, reside in Iran.
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