The government of Japan has announced a contribution of USD 7 million to UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and World Food Programme (WFP) to support the Afghan Refugees and host communities in Pakistan.
The official announcement was made by the Minister for States and Frontier Regions (SAFRON) Lt. Gen. (Rtd) Abdul Qadir Baloch and the Ambassador of Japan in Pakistan H.E. Mr. Takashi Kurai during a press event held in Islamabad.
The Acting UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator Mr. Indrika Ratwatte, UNHCR Assistant Representative (Protection) Ms. Tracey Maulfair, WFP Country Director and Representative Mr. Finbarr Curran, and Representatives from the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) Secretariat and KP Government were also present at the occasion.
The Government of Japan has allocated USD 3 million to UNHCR for implementation of its priority interventions in the provision of legal assistance to refugees in the country and its programmes in the areas of education healthcare and vocational training. This generous contribution by the Government of Japan will, in addition to providing legal assistance to an estimated 22,500 refugees in Pakistan, support an estimated 50,000 persons from the refugee population and the communities hosting them in accessing health care and education, as well as some 210 youths who will be undergoing vocational training courses throughout Pakistan.
The Government of Japan has allocated the remaining USD 4 million to WFP to support 82,389 beneficiaries including 42,874 children of 6-59 months of age and 39,515 pregnant and lactating women over the period of six months. It will enable WFP to procure a total of 1,097 metric tons of locally produced quality “Ready-to-Use supplementary foods” (Acha Mum and Maamta) that will be distributed in four districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province i.e. Peshawar, Nowshera, Hangu and Kohat, identified as the districts hosting the highest number of Afghan refugees and host communities.
