KABUL - Afghanistan has sought generous international support for long-term socio-economic development and capacity-building programs to rehabilitate returning refugees.

Some of the returnees, seeking a prosperous future, faced only despair to their homeland, Afghanistan's Ambassador Zahir Tanin told the UN General Assembly's 3rd Committee on Wednesday.

Years of violence in their homeland had forced more than 10 million Afghans to live in different countries, the ambassador said, adding Kabul was involved with international partners, UNHCR in particular, to facilitate the return of refugees.

According to media reports, the Pakistani envoy urged the world to help Afghanistan take serious steps for the creation of a safe environment for the voluntary return of refugees.

The news agency APP quoted Masood Khan as saying: "It is not dignified for the Afghan refugees to live in temporary shelters permanently. They must return to their homeland."

About the presence of Afghan refugees in Pakistan, he said lack of adequate pull factors and continuing instability in Afghanistan had discouraged refugees' voluntary return.

"Despite the generosity of our people, the capacity of the government of Pakistan to indefinitely host millions of refugees should not be overestimated," he told delegates. (Pajhwok)