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ISLAMABAD: The government of Japan has announced a grant of $ 6 million for UNHCR’s refugee programme in Pakistan to bolster interventions in the areas of education, healthcare and provision of legal assistance to some 1.6 million Afghan refugees in the country.
The largest portion of this amount, $ 2.3 million, will be spent for improving health services and benefit approximately 600,000 Afghan refugees residing in 76 refugee villages. Around $ 2.2 million will be spent on the improvement of education sector to ensure that refugee children have unhindered access to education. Other areas include provision of salaries to more than 1,000 teachers in the refugee villages, maintenance of schools, training and capacity building activities and awareness raising sessions. Some 96,000 children are expected to benefit from the activities.
A sum of $ 1.5 million has been allocated to strengthen the legal aid services offered to all registered Afghans across Pakistan. The money will be spent for monitoring border crossing points and capacity-building of border guards and other government officials. Sensitisation and training for law enforcement bodies, government officials and the judiciary will be carried out to ensure respect for refugee rights. The amount will also help continue provision of free legal advice and legal aid as well as court representation for refugees who have been detained on illegal immigration charges.
Japanese ambassador to Pakistan Hiroshi Inomata emphasised the importance of meeting basic human needs of the Afghan refugees. “These people have only limited access to basic services and require assistance. Moreover, assistance to these refugees will help alleviate the burden of host communities in Pakistan, thereby promoting stability of the country.”
The UNHCR representative in Islamabad, Neill Wright, said, “The Japanese contribution is vital to UNHCR operations in this country. The unstinting generosity and funding from the people of Japan will allow UNHCR to continue assisting the most vulnerable refugees to have access to better primary healthcare facilities and to improve the condition of schools, enabling more children to attend school while they are in Pakistan.”
Japan announces $6m for refugees in Pakistan
The largest portion of this amount, $ 2.3 million, will be spent for improving health services and benefit approximately 600,000 Afghan refugees residing in 76 refugee villages. Around $ 2.2 million will be spent on the improvement of education sector to ensure that refugee children have unhindered access to education. Other areas include provision of salaries to more than 1,000 teachers in the refugee villages, maintenance of schools, training and capacity building activities and awareness raising sessions. Some 96,000 children are expected to benefit from the activities.
A sum of $ 1.5 million has been allocated to strengthen the legal aid services offered to all registered Afghans across Pakistan. The money will be spent for monitoring border crossing points and capacity-building of border guards and other government officials. Sensitisation and training for law enforcement bodies, government officials and the judiciary will be carried out to ensure respect for refugee rights. The amount will also help continue provision of free legal advice and legal aid as well as court representation for refugees who have been detained on illegal immigration charges.
Japanese ambassador to Pakistan Hiroshi Inomata emphasised the importance of meeting basic human needs of the Afghan refugees. “These people have only limited access to basic services and require assistance. Moreover, assistance to these refugees will help alleviate the burden of host communities in Pakistan, thereby promoting stability of the country.”
The UNHCR representative in Islamabad, Neill Wright, said, “The Japanese contribution is vital to UNHCR operations in this country. The unstinting generosity and funding from the people of Japan will allow UNHCR to continue assisting the most vulnerable refugees to have access to better primary healthcare facilities and to improve the condition of schools, enabling more children to attend school while they are in Pakistan.”
Japan announces $6m for refugees in Pakistan
