ISLAMABAD, 05 January 2023 – UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, Thursday welcomed a US $5.65 million contribution from the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA).
This new funding will help strengthen UNHCR’s response to address the health, access to potable water and education needs of refugees and host communities in Pakistan over a four-year period.
UNHCR’s Representative to Pakistan, Ms. Noriko Yoshida and Director of KOICA for Pakistan, Mr. Je Ho Yeon signed the agreement for the multi-year funds for the Pakistan programme at a ceremony in Islamabad, joined by Mr. June Seo Park, Counsellor, Embassy of the Republic of Korea to Pakistan, and Commissioner for Afghan Refugees, Mr. Farid Ullah Jan.
This partnership will help UNHCR to provide better health facilities to refugees and Pakistani communities through the provision of health equipment to government health facilities and support to Mother and Child Health Centres. This will also enable UNHCR to provide clean drinking water to both refugees and host communities.
The programme also includes an important education component — essential for future of young refugees and the children of Pakistan. By improving infrastructure — UNHCR is aiming to increase access to schools for both boys and girls, and ensure they have safe learning environments for the next generation in Balochistan, Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provinces as well as Islamabad.
Health and education along with water and sanitation programmes also assist host community members as part of an international effort falling under a Solutions Strategy for Afghan Refugees (SSAR) to increase contributions towards communities who have generously shared their resources with refugees for decades.
Source: UN High Commissioner for Refugees