Islamabad, 21 December 2021 (TDI): The Government of Japan will provide additional support of $3.72 million to Pakistan in a bid to expand humanitarian assistance to Afghan refugees and host communities in the country. The decision came in response to the prevalent humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan.
Government of Japan announced aid for Afghan Refugees
The Government of Japan officially announced the decision to contribute approximately $109 million so as to manage the deteriorating humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan and the affected neighboring countries, on 20 December. The above-mentioned $3.72 million assistance is part of this program.
The aid is meant to provide support to Pakistan for the preparation of an expected refugee influx. Moreover, it will also address the prolonged socio-economic challenges amongst Afghan refugees along with their host communities.
Pakistan has hosted over 1.4 million registered refugees in the last 40 years. Nevertheless, the need for humanitarian assistance has tripled in the wake of the abrupt political change in Afghanistan. Furthermore, the pandemic situation has contributed to aggravating the crisis.
The Japanese assistance will be provided through UNHCR, UNICEF, and WFP. The objective of the assistance is to directly address the humanitarian needs in multiple spheres like education, healthcare, protection, food, and nutrition, as well as water and sanitation for the Afghan refugees and the host communities in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Balochistan, Sindh, and Punjab provinces.
Afghanistan faces a Humanitarian Crisis
Afghanistan has been facing a humanitarian crisis ever since the US withdrew its forces from the country and the Taliban took over. Since August, the political, as well as socio-economic areas of the country, have become dilapidated.
Consequently, the war-torn country needs immediate help from the internal community as well as the regional neighbors. In this regard, the 17th Extraordinary Session of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) was convened in Pakistan to enlist help and aid for the country.
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