It is more than forty years since the first Afghan refugees left their country, in what has become one of the largest and longest displacement crises in recent history. Today, the Islamic Republics of Iran and Pakistan continue host over 2 million registered Afghan refugees. The international community also continues its engagement with the Afghan refugee response and efforts to find solutions for refugees – critical at this time of increased emergency humanitarian needs in Afghanistan.
A cornerstone of the effort to find solutions for Afghan refugees is the Solutions Strategy for Afghan Refugees to Support Voluntary Repatriation, Sustainable Reintegration and Assistance to Host Countries (SSAR), which was drafted in 2012 by Afghanistan, Iran and Pakistan, with the support of UNHCR. The strategy advances a regional approach to solutions and also promotes burden- and responsibility-sharing for refugees at regional and global levels.
In 2019, a Support Platform for the SSAR was created to underpin collective global efforts to build on a solutions approach. Its creation is grounded in the 2018 Global Compact on Refugees that received wide support from the UN General Assembly. The Support Platform is led by Afghanistan, Iran and Pakistan, with UNHCR’s support as a secretariat. In this time of humanitarian crisis, the Support Platform is more relevant than ever and will remain the key framework for comprehensive and coordinated support to the Afghanistan situation, including for those displaced inside Afghanistan and those who cross borders.