KABUL - The United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR) chief today reiterated that the agency’s work in Afghanistan is purely humanitarian in a visit meant to honour staff killed in last week’s attack in the southern city of Kandahar.

“We are strictly a humanitarian, non-political organization. Our single goal is to support people in need where those people are displaced,” UN High Commissioner for Refugees Antonio Guterres said in a press conference in Kabul. He added that the agency does not represent any one part of the world nor is it an instrument of any organization.

The UNHCR chief arrived yesterday to pay his respects to the three colleagues killed in an attack on 31 October. Salah Mohammad, 39; Abdul Shakoor, 57; and 31-year-old Nasratallh were killed along with two security staff when armed gunmen opened fire. The attack is currently under investigation.

“Everybody is firmly committed to UNHCR’s mandate, to the benefit of the people we care for, and to the preservation of the humanitarian values of independence, impartiality and neutrality,” Guterres added.

UNHCR has been active in Afghanistan for decades, assisting the repatriation of more than 5.7 million refugees or roughly a quarter of the entire Afghan population. The voluntary repatriation and reintegration programme is the largest for UNHCR in the world.

The agency is currently working with the Governments of Afghanistan, Iran and Pakistan on a multi-year solutions strategy for Afghanistan which includes support to host communities and greater investment in sustainable reintegration.

Guterres said the agency is committed to “enhancing the confidence of its relationships with the communities” to dispel any misperceptions of the reality of the world.

He also used the press conference as an opportunity to praise UNHCR staff in Kandahar, saying that he is “extremely proud” that there was no interruption in the agency’s support for Afghans during and after the attack due to their courage and hard work.

By UNAMA Kabul