Japan gives $14.2m in humanitarian aid

KABUL, a statement from the Japanese Embassy said on Wednesday.

The statement said that this contribution will allow these humanitarian agencies to address the emerging situation of refugees returning from Pakistan, other returnees, food insecurity and malnutrition, and other vital needs, benefiting approximately 520,000 people in total.

The contribution responds to requirements under UNOCHA’s 2015 Strategic Response Plan.

Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) – $2,100,000, with the funding from the government of Japan, UNHCR will focus on supporting the voluntary repatriation of Afghan refugees from Iran and Pakistan, fostering sustainable reintegration of returning Afghan, providing humanitarian support to IDPs and delivering emergency humanitarian assistance to refugees in southeastern Afghanistan..

The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) – $2,300,000, the funding contribution from the government of Japan will be able UNICEF in supporting life-saving therapeutic treatment of children under five years suffering from Severe Acute Malnutrition (SAM), with a particular focus on emergency-affected areas.

United Nations Mine Action Service (UNMAS) – $2,000,000, funding from the Government of Japan will support demining activities in Bamiyan, Faryab, Khost and Kunduz provinces, where many communities remain affected by landmines and explosive remnants of war (ERW).

The World Food Programme (WFP) – $5,200,000, funding from the government of Japan will be utilized to directly address food insecurity and malnutrition in Afghanistan, as well as to provide Humanitarian Air Services.

The International Organization for Migration (IOM) – $2,575,000, the funding contribution from the government of Japan will be used to support a range of Afghan migration needs.

Japan has strongly supported Afghanistan’s nation-building efforts in fields ranging from the security sector to economic and social development, providing assistance for agriculture, infrastructure, rural development, and human capacity development projects. Cumulative Japanese assistance to Afghanistan since 2001 amounts to $5.78 billion.

pr/rm