Kelly Clements (Maine, USA, 1967) is the UNHCR Deputy High Commissionerthe number two of the UN agency for aid to refugees. In the position since 2015, he joined the United Nations after 25 years working in the US Department of Statefocused on humanitarian aid through four presidents of both parties. The attack by Israel and the United States on Iran, which has killed the country’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has caught Clements in Barcelonaon the occasion of his participation in the Mobile World Congresssince the technology sector has become a strong ally due to its contribution to innovation and the philanthropy of large companies. This interview with EL PERIÓDICO is the first that a UNHCR official grants after the attack on Iran.
Since the US and Israel have attacked Iran, the conflict has escalated to the regional level. What scenarios is UNHCR working on right now?
We are already seeing families moving after the latest attacks, seeking safety. The Secretary General and the High Commissioner have called for caution, respect for international humanitarian law and have warned about the risk that the civilian population will be trapped in the middle of the conflict. We are looking at how to prepare aid, analyzing how people can move and what they may need.
What mechanisms are there to preserve this international law?
UNHCR is not a compliance or enforcement agency of international law. We can say what we see and indicate what standards to meet. The right to request asylum is a human right. We can advise governments on whether something is within the law or not and, when it is not, obviously our first steps are private representations to governments with any concerns we may have. If, for example, the right to asylum is not respected, we turn to the corresponding government authority and try to dialogue. And, if at some point we make it public, it is because these practices continue and we have no other option.
The Middle East already had a large number of refugees whose right to asylum may now be in jeopardy, what will happen to them?
Iran hosts the largest refugee population in the world, with 4 million Afghans currently dependent on the protection of the Iranian state. That obviously worries us a lot. In the last two and a half years, we have seen 5.4 million Afghans return from Iran and Pakistan, but returning to Afghanistan remains very precarious. Added to the conflict on the border between Pakistan and Iran, the region is in a very fragile situation.
Do you have records of new trips in the last few hours?
In Lebanon, there are already 29,000 new forcibly displaced people in the last 48 hours who, preventively, have taken their families and what they could, loaded their cars and gone north. Lebanon has the highest number of refugees per capita in the world, mainly Syrians, Iraqis and Palestinians. Now everyone needs protection and help. There are only about 600 Lebanese crossings into Syria at the moment, but since early Monday morning we have mobilized resources to respond to the emergency, in coordination with the Lebanese Government. Colleagues are already on the ground.
Are we facing a humanitarian crisis?
Not yet, but we are preparing for it. The total number of refugees in the region is already a crisis. The events of the last few hours and days have added to an already very difficult situation. There are 10 million displaced Syrians. Some have returned in the last year and a half, these are positive signs, but there are still enormous humanitarian needs that require us to be there: international community, local authorities and response teams. It is a very serious humanitarian situation.
Kelly Clements, UNHCR Deputy High Commissioner / Zowy Voeten / EPC
How much impact has the cut in humanitarian aid last year had?
We have had to cut between 35% and 40% of our operations in the Middle East. In Iran, for example, our appeal was to raise 140 million and we have received only 8% of the amount needed. And UNHCR is the largest operational agency in Iran. We will do everything possible to mobilize other resources, but we are starting from a much lower level than would be desirable.
What happens if neighboring countries can no longer take in more refugees?
We are trying to mobilize support from the international community: these countries are providing a global public good. They keep their borders open and allow people to flee for their lives and seek safety. We hope that hospitality continues, but it is difficult. Pakistan and Iran have been host countries for four decades, and their own populations have needs too. The international community would need to increase support substantially.
Is this refugee crisis in the Middle East also leading to an economic crisis that puts even more pressure on host countries?
Absolutely. The economic impact of receiving millions of refugees in host communities is enormous in Pakistan and Iran due to the Afghan situation, and also in Jordan, Lebanon, Türkiye and Iraq. That is why we advocate that, as soon as possible, people can work to support themselves or send their children to school. This requires support from local and national authorities. It is more sustainable than humanitarian aid, which is limited and finite.
Are we losing capacity to protect refugees around the world?
It is an extremely difficult situation: there are 117 million people forced to flee in the world. Not only have conflicts increased, but refugees have also been used as political instruments, to fuel fear in an increasingly polarized environment. In some places the response is better than in others. In Chad and South Sudan they have kept their borders open for hundreds of thousands of Sudanese. They have not said “we are full.” They have opened. It does not happen the same everywhere, and it is the responsibility of the international community to support these practices.
What can Europe and the US do about the refugee crisis in the Middle East?
Between 75% and 80% of refugees stay in neighboring countries. They don’t move far, we have to dismantle that myth. Some do, and there Europe and the US have the responsibility of maintaining open borders when people arrive seeking protection.
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