| Open letter to UN High Commissioner for Refugees Mr. Antonio Guterres |
by NaelaQuadri Baloch
International Refugee Day
Open letter to
UN High Commissioner for Refugees Mr. Antonio Guterres
June 20, 2012
Protection of Baloch Refugees in Afghanistan When NON POLITICAL UNHCR will overcome Political Pressures of Pakistanand Iran??
Dear Sir
Most respectfully I am recalling the last line of your promising message on International Refugee Day 2011, “ For as long as conflicts
see no end, helping those they displace will remain our collective responsibility” it gave us a breath of hope that the Baloch refugee
families will also be considered in your protection program for the 33.9 million uprooted or stateless people as core mandate of
UNHCR. Our basic rights will also be ensured in country of asylum Afghanistan. Our women and children will also be protected from
vulnerabilities malnutrition Tuberculosis and Hepatitis B. At least we will have a graveyard to burry our loved ones victims of torture,
bombardment and diseases. We had hope that from now no one will be able to send us back to the ruthless hands of Pakistan or
order us to leave their country as always Afghan governments had done before, although having 1000 sq km of Baloch land in
Afghan map doesn’t give any right to Baloch refugees here.
When we got to know your claims: “an eruption of fighting causing tens of thousands of people to flee their homes, perhaps, or a
massive earthquake displacing hundreds of thousands. That means the agency must be able to rush aid and experts to the affected
zone without delay. Providing fleeing civilians with emergency help is often the first step towards their long-term protection and
rehabilitation. at any given time, UNHCR has the capacity to respond to a new emergency impacting up to 500,000 people. The
agency can also mobilize more than 300 trained personnel within 72 hours. These experts come from its Emergency Response Team
(ERT) roster. UNHCR has also developed mechanisms for the immediate mobilization of financial resources to help meet the
response to an emergency without delay. But when we look at our helplessness for last ten years in Kandhar and Hilmund
The sufferings of hundreds of thousands Baloch refugees shake our trust in your august institution. It is the first time I am writing to
you but since 2000 many efforts have been done by me and other Balochs to bring the issue in to your notice. I had personally
submitted appeals to UNHCR Kabul, had meeting with the advisor to the head of UNHCR Afghanistan, Baloch refugees protested in
front of UNHCR office Kandhar and badly beaten up by security agencies. Many Balochs had to leave country of asylum Afghanistan
due to high security risks and lack of any support system. Many of them having no other way went back to Pakistan and faced killings
torture and disappearances.
Dear Sir,
Baloch are facing occupation for last sixty four years, this is the fifth military operation on Baloch nation by Pakistan and Iran.
Hundreds of Thousands of Baloch had been killed, forced disappeared, tortured, raped, internally displaced, or crossed borders.
More than one million Balochs are forced to live out side Pakistan and Iran. Baloch Diaspora is scattered in Europe US Africa Arab
states but the most vulnerable Baloch refugees are living in Afghanistan without refugee status any protection or support. We highly
appreciate and admire role of UNHCR for refugees of Afghanistan, Chad, Colombia, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Iraq
and surrounding countries, and the Sudan that had saved the hope yet not dead in our hearts. Today another International Refugee
Day appeared with no colours appeared in the horizon of Baloch refugee souls.
Happy International Refugee Day!
In peace,
Professor Naela Quadri Baloch
World Baloch Women’s Forum
http://www.facebook.com/naelaquadri.baloch