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Japan contributes US $ 2 million to support UNHCR in Pakistan

August 05, 2005

ISLAMABAD, 05 August (UNHCR) - The Japanese Government has contributed an amount of US $ 2 million to support the UN Refugee Agency operations in Pakistan. The contribution was received at the agency's head quarter office in Geneva.

A recently held census of Afghans in Pakistan established that there are more than 3 million Afghans in Pakistan. Out of this number around 1.3 million live in 116 refugee camps mostly situated in the North West Frontier Province and Balochistan.

UNHCR, in Pakistan, is currently involved in the voluntary repatriation of Afghans, which is the largest voluntary repatriation programme in the world. It also provides health, primary education, water and sanitation facilities to refugees in camps.

"The much needed Japanese financial assistance will help UNHCR in the provision of protection to refugees in Pakistan and will strengthen the efforts to find a durable solution for the people of concern to UNHCR," said Guenet Guebre Christos, UNHCR Country Representative in Pakistan.

A network of 85 Basic Health Units and 375 primary schools are being run by UNHCR in the refugee camps to provide health and primary education to refugee children. The provision of basic facilities in camps is done through 23 international and national partner organizations and the Government of Pakistan.

"As we appreciate the government of Pakistan for hosting millions of Afghans in Pakistan, which has a sizeable number of people of concern to UNHCR; we also highly appreciate donor countries with whose help UNHCR has been able to care for a large number of refugees in Pakistan," She added.

UNHCR Pakistan through its voluntary repatriation programme has assisted more than 2.5 million Afghans in returning home since 2002. The voluntary repatriation of Afghans is being carried out through a 3 year tri-partite agreement signed between the governments of Pakistan, Afghanistan and UNHCR.

His Excellency Mr. Nobuaki Tanaka, Ambassador of Japan to Pakistan said, "I am happy that Japan has made a substantial contribution to augment UNHCR's Afghan refugee relief and repatriation activities. The assistance signifies our response and concern for specific funding needs on humanitarian grounds."

Ambassador Tanaka further added, "I am sure that UNHCR will make a cost-effective use of these resources made available that will no doubt, make a potential contribution towards addressing the effects of protracted displacement and enabling sustainable return of refugees from Pakistan."

During the current year more than 221,000 Afghans have repatriated voluntarily to Afghanistan against an estimated figure for 2005 of 400,000 projected by UNHCR early this year after the resumption of the repatriation programme in March.

UNHCR Pakistan has a budgeted amount of US $ 12 million to carry out its operation in the country for the year 2005. The actual amount depends on the financial commitments and contributions made to the agency's head quarter in Geneva.