NEW YORK, APRIL 5 – The Italian Mission to the United Nations in New York hosted today a briefing by the UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi on the global refugee crisis. A particular focus was given to the situation in Ukraine and in Afghanistan.
Grandi was in Afghanistan in mid-March, and at the end of March in Ukraine, for the first time since the beginning of the Russian offensive. From there, he issued a strong call to the international community to provide continued support to the millions of civilians affected by the fighting. “I have seen incredible human suffering,” the High Commissioner said during the briefing noting that human displacement is the common denominator of such crises.
Yesterday, in a Twitter message from New York after the shipwreck last Saturday of 90 people from Libya, the High Commissioner called on Europe to be as generous and welcoming to African migrants as it is to Ukrainian refugees. Europe hosted the Ukrainian refugees “generously and effectively” , he said, and should do the same for other refugees “knocking with difficulty at its doors.”
Announcing the briefing on Twitter, the Italian Ambassador Maurizio Massari recalled that Italy has welcomed 100,000 refugees and will continue to support UNHCR in protecting the most vulnerable. (@OnuItalia)