UN official hails Iran’s support for refugees

TEHRAN,Sept.16(MNA) – United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees Antonio Guterres praised the Islamic Republic for providing assistance to refugees. Iran’s generous hosting of refugees is due to the fact that Iran is committed to international and Islamic laws, Guterres said during a meeting with Iranian Interior Minister Mostafa Mohammad-Najjar in Tehran on Saturday. Iran is serving the international community through hosting and supporting refugees, he said, adding that the UN believes that the international community should provide Iran with more help so that the country would be able to offer better services to refugees. He also said that the Islamic Republic can count on the aid from the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in this regard. In addition, he said that the UNHCR will make efforts to find new resources to provide Iran with financial assistance and will try to transfer Afghan refugees from Iran to other countries. Iran to insure Afghan refugees The Iranian interior minister also said that Iran plans to provide health insurance for Afghan refugees with the help of the UNHCR. Elsewhere in his remarks, Mohammad-Najjar said that Iran is hosting refugees from its neighboring countries because it is committed to Islamic and humanitarian principles. Iran is serving as a buffer between Afghan refugees and Western countries, so Western governments should help Iran and share the costs being imposed on the country.