ISLAMABAD, Pakistan — Japan has pledged $3 million to support Afghan refugees and their host communities in Pakistan, the UN refugee agency said on Wednesday, as humanitarian needs in the region continue to rise.
The funding, part of Japan’s supplementary budget, will go to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and will be used to bolster efforts in areas such as protection, civil documentation, gender-based violence prevention, healthcare, and livelihoods support across Pakistan.
UNHCR said the contribution will help strengthen access to primary healthcare services, including for women, and expand skills development programs for both refugees and local residents. The training programs aim to improve self-reliance and resilience in communities that have long hosted Afghan refugees, some for decades.
“This generous support will allow UNHCR to address urgent and long-standing needs of refugees and host communities alike,” the agency said in a statement, emphasizing the importance of sustained international assistance as refugee numbers remain high and economic pressures mount.
Pakistan is home to more than 1.3 million registered Afghan refugees, many of whom have fled conflict and instability in Afghanistan over the past four decades. The country has also seen new arrivals following the Taliban’s return to power in 2021, placing further strain on already stretched services.
The Japanese government has been one of UNHCR’s key donors in the region, and its latest contribution comes amid growing global concern over the welfare of displaced populations in South Asia.
