Japan pledges $5.3m in humanitarian and emergency assistance to Afghanistan

The government of Japan has pledged $5.3 million in humanitarian and emergency assistance to Afghanistan in a bid to help address the challenges the Afghan refugees, internally displaced people, and other civilians to face in 2018.

According to a statement released by the Embassy of Japan in Kabul, the Government of Japan has recently provided 5.3 million fund to UNHCR, UNICEF, UNMAS, WFP, WHO and IOM for humanitarian and emergency assistance in Afghanistan.

The statement further adds that 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 2018 Humanitarian Response Plan, the Embassy of Japan in Kabul added.

According to the statement, United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) will receive $1 million of the funds, United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) $800,000, and the United Nations Mine Action Service (UNMAS) $1 million.

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Afghanistan, UN appeal for $430m to assist 2.8m vulnerable Afghans

The Afghan government and UNOCHA (The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs) have appealed for $430 million this year to help the most vulnerable Afghans across the country.

The money will be used to assist 2.8 million people displaced by conflict or natural disasters with emergency shelters and food, to treat patients injured by conflict, to feed malnourished children or assist vulnerable families returning home after years in Iran or Pakistan.

“Life of hundreds of vulnerable children, women and men will be in danger without humanitarian assistance,” said Afghan Chief Executive Abdullah Abdullah. “The country is being in war, last year more than 400 thousand people have been displaced.”

Abdullah, meanwhile, said that addressing the human rights situation is the responsibility of the government and not its policy.

Armed clashes in the past year were the highest in a decade and civilian casualties remained near record levels. More than two million people were directly affected by the conflict last year, 448,000 of whom had to abandon their homes to save their lives. More than 500,000 people arrived in Afghanistan in 2017, many of them after seeking refuge in Iran, Pakistan or other countries.

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US could freeze up to $2 billion in aid to Pakistan: official

A senior US official has said Washington could freeze up to $2 billion in aid to Pakistan as the Department of State on Thursday announced that the security assistance to the country has been suspended until Islamabad takes decisive actions against the terror groups.

The official has told AFP that both US military assistance and Afghanistan coalition funding to Islamabad could be suspended.

It is “approximately two billion worth of equipment and coalition support funding that is in play,” the official said on condition of anonymity.

However, the analysts believe the United States is highly unlikely to freeze all that funding, which totals $1.9 billion.

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China pledges $2.2 million in fresh aid to Afghanistan

The government of China has pledged a fresh aid package of $2.2 million to Afghanistan as the country attempts to expand role in civilian and military aid to the country.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Afghanistan (MoFA) said the latest aid package was announced by the Chinese Ambassador to Afghanistan.

According to a statement by MoFA, the Chinese envoy to Afghanistan announced the aid package during a meeting with the deputy foreign minister for administrative affairs Nasir Ahmad Andisha.

The statement further added that the Chinese envoy also discussed regarding programs to train the Afghan diplomats.

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