Germany pledges more aid
for Afghan refugees in Pakistan
27 March, 2006
ISLAMABAD, Pakistan, March
27 (UNHCR) – The government of the Republic of Germany has pledged
€250,000 to assist and protect Afghan refugees in Pakistan at a time
when the UN refugee agency is facing major budgetary constraints.
“We are very grateful to the German government for this generous
donation,” said UNHCR’s Representative in Pakistan, Guenet
Guebre-Christos. “Even though record numbers of Afghans have repatriated
in recent years, there are still about 2.6 million left in Pakistan,
many of whom need basic services like health care and sanitation.”
The contribution will go towards humanitarian assistance and protection
activities for Afghans in Pakistan, bringing to €1 million the total
amount donated to this program by the German government since 2004.
More than 2.7 million Afghans have returned home from Pakistan since
UNHCR started its voluntary repatriation operation in 2002. Five
thousand Afghans have returned with UNHCR assistance so far in 2006 –
the last year of assisted returns under the current Tripartite Agreement
between Afghanistan, Pakistan and the UN refugee agency. Some 2.6
million Afghans remain in Pakistan, living in 74 refugee camps and in
urban areas.
Media Contact: Vivian Tan, Mobile: 0300 500 1133
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