ISLAMABAD: The government of France has announced financial assistance worth EUR 3 million to support UNHCR (United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees) for its critical programs for Afghans in the Islamic Republics of Iran and Pakistan.
According to a press release issued here Monday, the funding would enable the UNHCR to intensify the provision of lifesaving assistance and protection for some of the most vulnerable refugees and their local host communities.
In Pakistan, EUR 2 million of financial aid would enable the refugee agency to boost primary and secondary level education, strengthen skills and vocational training, and reinforce access to public health care in host communities in 2023.
A particular focus of the Government of France’s assistance would be on supporting girls and women. This funding comes in addition to another contribution of EUR 2 million for 2022 activities, which has already delivered results in the area of enhancing girls’ access to education and expanding skills training for women.
In Iran, France has allocated EUR 1 million to back UNHCR’s programs in 2023. This contribution would help strengthen ongoing efforts to provide lifesaving assistance to Afghans and host communities, including access to essential healthcare, education, and protection services. This new funding is in addition to a similar contribution of EUR 1 million for UNHCR Iran in 2022.
UNHCR hailed France for its unwavering support in addressing one of the world’s most enduring refugee crises.
French Envoy Hails Pakistan and Iran
French Ambassador to Iran, Nicolas Roche, noted that “by contributing to UNHCR’s work in Iran for the second year in a row, we are committed to supporting the people of Afghanistan, being driven out of their country following the 2021 developments in Afghanistan. It is also essential for us to support the resilience of the Iranian population through this assistance.”
Iran and Pakistan host over 9.2 million Afghans of varying statuses, including 2.3 million registered refugees. A major portion of them has left their country, propelled by instability, insecurity and grinding poverty.
Despite limited resources and strained economies, both Pakistan and Iran, through their refugee-inclusive policies, have demonstrated a commitment to abide by the principles of hospitality and protection.
Nicolas Galey further expressed that France’s support was a gesture of solidarity and gratitude for the four decades of hospitality extended by the governments and people of Pakistan for Afghan refugees, adding that a co-convener at December’s Global Refugee Forum, the funding also reflected Paris’s commitment to increasing cooperation and solidarity with refugees and affected host countries.
UNHCR is committed to backing Afghanistan’s neighboring nations and providing protection to millions of Afghan women, men, and children, and with the support of the government of France, the funding would help ensure that this work can not only continue but expand in the coming years.
