News Desk
ISLAMABAD: United States Ambassador to Pakistan Donald Blome said the United States has provided over $60 million in form of humanitarian assistance to the Afghan refugees in Pakistan and their host communities during 2022.
The ambassador said that via a press release here on Thursday adding that the US had provided over $273 million (nearly Rs 62 billion) in humanitarian assistance for Afghan refugees living in Pakistan as well as to the Pakistani host communities.
Donald Blome also paid thanks to Pakistan for generously hosting Afghan refugees for over four decades, and said that the US felt proud to continue its support and contribute to the major cause.
The financial assistance being provided by the US had helped increase school enrollment of Afghan and Pakistani children in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan province.
It also helped to improve healthcare services in Pakistan and enhanced nutrition programs in areas hosting Afghans, improved livelihood, water, sanitation, hygiene, and infrastructure, and played a role in the COVID-19 pandemic.
Commenting on US aid, UNHCR Representative to Pakistan Noriko Yoshida said that UNHCR was on the ground immediately while responding to the devastating floods of 2022 with the generous and timely support of the American People that also helped enhance girls’ access to formal and informal education and also providing space for entrepreneurs to thrive in the fields of vocational and skills training.
US assistance in Health, Education
UNICEF Representative in Pakistan Abdullah Fadil in his remarks said that due to the US, UNICEF has been able to make an optimistic change in the living standard of Afghan refugees and of the hosting Pakistani communities. He further said that the assistance made them able to help prevent and treat children suffering from severe acute malnutrition, provide maternal and neonatal facilities which help mothers and newborns survive, and facilitate families with access to safe drinking water and adequate sanitation.
During the year, The US supported UNFPA and UNICEF to conduct renovations to health services, including updating labor rooms and purchasing innovative newborn care equipment, furniture, and other equipment related to patient care.
In addition, health facilities were accompanied by solar panels that ensure an uninterrupted electricity supply. Besides UNICEF also delivered essential health, nutrition, water, sanitation, and hygiene services and provided preventative and curative nutrition services to about 50,000 mothers and 110,000 children.
Pakistan’s Chief Commissioner for Afghan Refugees Saleem Khan also paid thanks to the US for its generous support for Afghan refugees in Pakistan and its host communities. APP
