SG: Mr. Foreign Minister, Governor and Commissioner, and my dear Afghan elders and Afghan brothers and sisters. I think my presence here should confirm to you that the international community has not forgotten you, and that you do have friends. I have personally been associated with your problem for over twenty years and was very involved with the first inflow of Afghan refugees to this region over two decades ago. Alas, the problem is still with us and the situation in your country has not settled for you either to return or remain at home. During that period, Pakistan has received millions of Afghan refugees and on behalf of all the Afghan population here and the Afghans who have been through Pakistan, I would want to thank the Government and the people of Pakistan, and the people of this province in particular, for their hospitality and kindness.

You can't hear? Il n'y a pas de micro? Can you hear me? OK, now it is better. I hope you have heard some of the things I said before and I do not have to start all over again.

And so I want to thank the Government and the people of Pakistan, and particularly this province, for the hospitality they have extended to their Afghan neighbours. I do not think it is easy to understand the situation of a refugee. We sometimes believe intellectually we understand it, but I believe you have to go through it, you have to put yourself in their shoes to understand their condition. You can imagine yourselves and your comfortable lives suddenly disrupted. You are uprooted from your homes, uprooted from your lives, your loved ones, for reasons that you cannot always explain, decisions taken by others that you have nothing to do with, except that you find yourself in a foreign land, your life threatened and you feel that, if you did remain behind, something will happen to you. I know that, ideally, the Afghan population would want to be home. They would want to be settled in their own communities to get on with their lives but, for twenty years, because of wars and now of course the added drought has compounded their situation, some have had to leave.

We, in the international community, are determined to help the Afghan population within Afghanistan and outside Afghanistan. Yesterday, [in] my discussion with the Chief Executive General Musharaff, I indicated to him that we will help Afghans in Afghanistan and those who are outside it. We have agreed to work with the Government of Pakistan to assist you here and, at the same time, to assist those who are displaced in Afghanistan. I look forward to the day when things will settle and you will be able to go back and you will feel free and secure to go back to Afghanistan.

I would also want to take this opportunity to thank all my UN colleagues from UNHCR, [the] World Food Programme and our wonderful NGO partners who have worked with them here to make your life bearable. I heard the plea from your leader that what you are receiving here is not enough and that more can be done. Yes, obviously, more can be done. But I must also admit that it has not been easy to raise all the money that we need to carry out this work. We are pressing the international community and those with capacity to give, to give and to give generously and freely, so that we will be able to continue this essential work.

As I leave you, I would want to remind you that you do have friends outside this camp, outside Afghanistan, and people who are concerned about your welfare and would want to do whatever they can to assist you. And I pray for peace and stability in your country, so that --in time-- you can return and resume your life with your families and hopefully in peace and prosperity. Thank you very much.

Q: Are you reassured about the fate of the refugees of Jalozai and do you want to go there?

SG: I had wished to go to Jalozai but, for operational and other reasons, I am not able to do this and the Government has indicated that we will fly over it. And I have also received a full brief on it. But what is important was the discussion that I had with the Government yesterday, where they will work with us to help the refugees in this country, which would also mean that we have to create conditions that will make their lives bearable until such time that they are able to return. And, at the same time, as I indicated, we are going to help the displaced people within Afghanistan and expand our activities within that country so that they do not have an inducement to want to leave their country and cross the border to Pakistan.

Q: Have you discussed with the authorities here the ban on the flow of new refugees and the deportations of Afghans that are taking place, and my second question is [that the political process] now seems to have to come to a dead end in the view of many others. Do you think it is still worthwhile pursuing the political process and seeking a settlement under the present circumstances?

SG: I have had a thorough discussion with the Government on refugee issues, on the need to allow the refugees who are here to be assisted, for instance, as I said to make their lives bearable until they are able to return home. On the question of political dialogue, the dialogue has not ceased. The dialogue continues. My Special Representative Vendrell is here with us today. He has maintained his contacts with both factions in Afghanistan and I hope that, in time, he will be able to bring them to the negotiating table. There is no solution, there is no solution to the Afghan problem except through a political settlement. There is no military solution, and this has to be clear to all sides.

Q: Monsieur le Secretaire general, la situation est urgente. Qu'est-ce que vous comptez faire concretement?

SG: Concretement, je viens de dire que nous sommes en train de travailler avec la communaute internationale pour pouvoir aider. On a fait un appel pour de l'argent et meme avant de quitter New York, on a eu une reunion avec 24 pays les poussant de nous donner les moyens de pouvoir aider. Comme, hier, le gouvernement a accepte de permettre le HCR de travailler avec eux, je crois qu'on a deja fait un pas en avant et donc on va essayer d'ameliorer la situation et, en meme temps, d'aider les deplaces qui se trouvent en Afghanistan. Donc, j'espere que, d'ici tres peu de temps, on va pouvoir constater qu'il y a beaucoup plus d'aide qui vient ici. Sorry I have to go. Thank you.

Additional comments: I want to apologize to the Afghan brothers and sisters, because what I said had not been interpreted, and I just want to say a few words to you before I leave.

(Translation into Dari, the language most commonly understood by Afghan refugees at Shamshatoo).

I want to assure you that I heard the message your elder gave us when he spoke earlier this morning, and to let you know that you are not without friends.

(Translation)

I know it is not easy to find yourselves uprooted, your lives disrupted and to be thrown into a foreign country without knowing what happens tomorrow.

(Translation)

And what I want to tell you is that we are going to do our best --and we are doing our best-to get as much assistance to you as possible, both here in Pakistan and in Afghanistan for those who are in need and are displaced.

(Translation)

It is good that I came here to see things for myself and to hear your message, and I will take that message with me. And it will encourage me to work even harder to do what is right for you.

(Translation)

And I want to thank you for working very closely with UNHCR, with the World Food Programme, and all those who work in this camp. They told me the support they get from you, and how you participate very actively and organize your own lives, and I think that is very important.

(Translation)

Thank you, and we will not forget you.*****