Iran and CESVI Focus on Strengthening Humanitarian Cooperation
The meeting between Iran’s National Organization for Migration and Italy’s CESVI focused on enhancing cooperation through humanitarian projects aimed at supporting refugees in Iran. Dalla Costa highlighted the need for agricultural initiatives, while Yar-Ahmadi discussed the challenges of hosting refugees and the necessity of international support. He also flagged potential changes to Iran’s refugee policies if global responsibilities are not shared fairly.
On February 16, Nader Yar-Ahmadi, head of Iran’s National Organization for Migration, and Marcelo García Dalla Costa of the Italian humanitarian organization CESVI met to discuss strengthening cooperation. Their focus was on establishing joint humanitarian projects to support Iran in its capacity as a host for refugees. Dalla Costa praised Iran’s efforts in accommodating refugees despite facing challenges due to insufficient international aid.
During the discussion, Dalla Costa outlined plans for agricultural projects aimed at boosting food productivity and providing livelihoods for both foreign nationals within Iran and Afghan refugees in their home country. He also mentioned a recent meeting with the Italian ambassador in Iran, noting Italy’s commitment to funding CESVI initiatives aimed at supporting immigrants and refugees in Iran.
Yar-Ahmadi elaborated on the responsibilities of the National Organization for Migration, highlighting the challenges faced in hosting Afghan refugees and other displaced individuals. He emphasized the importance of ensuring that Afghan refugees can access citizenship benefits similarly to Iranian citizens, expressing hopeful sentiments about collaborating on humanitarian projects, especially within agriculture. He stated, “we will do our best to support the plan by establishing a specialized team of experts in the field of agriculture.”
During a meeting on the sidelines of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees’ annual session in October 2024, Yar-Ahmadi indicated that Iran might reconsider its immigration policies if the international community does not adequately share the burden of hosting refugees. He asserted that lack of resources and consistent support has strained Iran’s capabilities to assist the increasing refugee population.
Yar-Ahmadi emphasized the importance of addressing educational needs for Afghan nationals residing in Iran, calling for UNHCR support in financing new schools and educational facilities. He asserted that political circumstances should not hinder humanitarian efforts and expressed Iran’s readiness to collaborate with financial supporters of refugees, stressing that effective humanitarian assistance is essential for overcoming the challenges faced by education systems affected by refugee influx.
In summary, the meeting between Iran’s migration organization and CESVI exemplifies a commitment to bolster humanitarian cooperation while addressing the challenges faced by refugee-hosting nations. The emphasis on agricultural projects and support for Afghan refugees highlights the need for international collaboration and funding. With potential revisions to immigration policies looming, the urgency for effective global responses and support for humanitarian efforts in Iran is clear.
Original Source: www.tehrantimes.com
