Voices of Kazakh women repatriated from conflict zones heard at UN
The Kazakh delegation is actively participating in the UN Counter-Terrorism Week, held in New York from June 26 to July 2, Qazinform News Agency reports, citing Kazakhstan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
During the High-Level Conference, Kazakhstan shared its experience repatriating citizens from conflict zones in Syria and Iraq.
Particular attention was drawn to the testimony of one of Kazakhstan’s repatriated women, who, as a special guest at the High-Level Conference, addressed the audience from the UN podium.
She shared her personal story of returning to Kazakhstan and successfully reintegrating into society after overcoming numerous hardships.
“Thanks to the support of the state, my life has returned to normal. My children are receiving an education, and I have the opportunity to run my own small business,” she noted.
During the Counter-Terrorism Week, Kazakhstan, together with other UN Member States, is participating in negotiations on the outcome document for the Ninth Review of the UN Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy, which will be adopted after the High-Level Conference.
On the margins of the Counter-Terrorism Week, the Kazakh delegation, together with the Central Asian countries, will host a specialized side event titled “Central Asia’s Experience in the Prosecution, Rehabilitation and Reintegration of Returnees from Conflict Zones.” The delegation will also hold several bilateral meetings with UN officials and international experts.
Kazakhstan has also been invited to speak at several side events organized by international organizations and partner countries, including Russia and Jamaica.
To note, the repatriated woman (whose identity is withheld for security reasons) and her four children were returned to Kazakhstan in 2019 under the special humanitarian operation Zhusan, launched at the decision of the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Kassym-Jomart Tokayev.
Following the Zhusan and Rusafa operations, more than 700 Kazakhstani citizens, mostly women and children, were repatriated to their homeland.
Earlier, Qazinform News Agency reported that Kazakhstan repatriated 8,585 citizens from the conflict zone in the Middle East.