Monday, April 03, 2017
Kabul (BNA) The Government of Japan has recently provided over 10 million funds to UNHCR, UNICEF, UNMAS, WFP, and IOM for humanitarian and emergency assistance in Afghanistan, the Japanese embassy in Kabul said here yesterday.
The funding from Japan will allow those agencies to address humanitarian challenges through provision of vital support to refugees returning from Pakistan and Iran, and to people suffering from food insecurity, malnutrition, natural disaster, displacement and other critical situations. The contribution responds to requirements under UNOCHA’s 2017 Humanitarian Response Plan, the statement from the embassy said.
“Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) – USD 1,461,500 Funding from the Government of Japan will support UNHCR in facilitating the voluntary repatriation of Afghan refugees from Iran and Pakistan, in fostering sustainable reintegration of the returnees through community-based livelihoods projects, and delivering humanitarian assistance to refugees in Khost and Paktika. The funding provided will enable UNHCR to monitor as many as 34,000 individuals, and an estimated 10 percent, will be provided with direct assistance as a result of protection monitoring,” the statement added. In addition, Japan’s contribution assists UNHCR in maintaining the functioning of three encashment centers in Herat, Jalalabad, Kabul and Kandahar, which benefit an estimated 30,000 Afghan returnees, as well as in providing live-saving humanitarian assistance through the provision of the cash grant.
According to the embassy, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) – USD 761,900 contribution from the Government of Japan will enable UNICEF to provide timely and tailored psychosocial support and referrals, education, life skills and life-saving child protection in emergency information to at least 15,250 children affected by armed conflict, displacement and natural disasters in Afghanistan. The contribution will also support UNICEF to monitor, report and respond to grave violations against children which include; killing and maiming of children, recruitment or use of children as soldiers, sexual violence against children, attacks against schools or hospitals, denial of humanitarian access for children, and abduction of children.
United Nations Mine Action Service (UNMAS) – USD 2,000,000 Funding from the Government of Japan will support demining activities in Nimroz province, where many communities remain affected by landmines and explosive remnants of war (ERW). It is expected that a total of 1.60 square kilometers of land will be cleared of landmines and ERW, directly benefitting 339 people who reside within 500 meters from contaminated areas, with indirect beneficiaries using the land for grazing is estimated at 107,490. The removal of a hazard near a major road connecting Nimroz and Helmand provinces will shorten the traveling distance between the Zaranj District (Helmand) and Chahar Burkak District (Nimroz) by 40 km. The assistance will contribute to socio-economic development as well as an overall reduction of civilian casualties.
World Food Program (WFP) – USD 3,178,625 funding from the Government of Japan will help to directly address food insecurity and malnutrition in Afghanistan, as well as to provide Humanitarian Air Services. WFP will procure, transport, and distribute over 1,150 metric tons of food commodities including fortified wheat flour, fortified vegetable oil, pulses, salt and Ready to Use Supplementary Food. The food assistance is to assist about 71,400 vulnerable people with a family ration for the period from two months to nine months, especially survivors of natural disasters, internally displaced persons malnourished children and nursing mothers. In addition, WFP will operate air transportation services for passengers and cargos to facilitate humanitarian and development activities in Afghanistan, including timely medical and security evacuation as required, the embassy’s statement added.
International Organization for Migration (IOM) – USD 3,147,125 funding from the Government of Japan will support IOM to provide humanitarian assistance to 14,800 Highly Vulnerable Afghan undocumented returnees from Iran. Additionally, the project will implement a reintegration tracking mechanism for vulnerable undocumented returnees in the high-return provinces of Herat and Nimroz, and aims to involve 20% of project beneficiaries. Japan’s contribution will also help to facilitate return of 19 highly skilled and qualified Afghans from Iran, in order to contribute to the national development and self-reliance of Afghanistan by engaging the Afghan diaspora in improving the capacity of public and private sector institutions. Japan has been strongly supporting Afghanistan’s nation-building efforts in a wide range of fields from security to economic and social development, providing assistance in various sectors including agriculture, education, health, infrastructure, rural development, and human capacity development. Cumulative Japanese assistance to Afghanistan since 2001 amounts to USD 6.4 billion.
The Kabul Times
