EU announces €44 million humanitarian fund for Afghanistan, Iran and Pakistan

The European Union announced that it will be offering humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan, Iran and Pakistan by setting up a €44 million fund. The money will support Afghan refugees and their families in Iran and Pakistan, help victims of the conflict in Afghanistan and improve disaster risk management in Central Asia.

“The EU’s assistance announced today will help hundreds of thousands of people affected by conflicts and natural disasters in South-West and Central Asia”, said Commissioner for Humanitarian Aid and Crisis Management Christos Stylianides. “I was recently in the region and saw first-hand the humanitarian needs. Children always suffer the most in long-lasting crises which is why a significant part of this funding will also focus on education in emergencies. Investing in children’s future is crucial for the stabilisation of the entire region.”

Of the €44 million, €25.5 million will help internally displaced people in Afghanistan that have been forced by conflict to flee or injured.  The assistance will focus on areas such as protection, food, emergency shelter, health, water, hygiene and sanitation. A special attention will be given to most vulnerable refugees that are trying to return to their homes.

The European Commission has been funding humanitarian operations in Afghanistan since 1994. The total EU funding in Afghanistan to date exceeds €751 million. Last year, the UNHCR estimated that some 623,000 Afghani citizens have been displaced.

Funds will also go towards sustaining and expanding the support given to Iran. Some €10 million will be given to help them complement efforts to provide for the basic needs of Afghan refugees. The EU will put a special emphasis on helping out with children’s education, protection and also assuring food, water, health and sanitation.

UNHCR estimated that Iran has taken in some two million undocumented Afghan refugees, besides the 951,142 documented ones. The EU has helped with humanitarian relieve since 1997 with a total funding close to €46 million.

Organisations working with Pakistanis who have been displaced by internal fighting will receive a funding of about €7 million. The money will also help provide essential services for Afghan refugees.

Pakistan is having to deal with over 420,000 internally displaced citizens. In addition, conflicts in Afghanistan have brought in some 1.3 million registered, and up to 1.2 million unregistered refugees.

Over half of Pakistani households are affected by food insecurity and the country is battling a global acute malnutrition with an estimated 3.5 million children suffering from acute malnutrition.

To date, the European Union has offered humanitarian relieve of €548.2 million, beginning with 2009.

The remaining €2 million will go to Central Asia for disaster risk reduction so communities are better prepared to respond to natural hazards. The Commission has funded a number of such programs in the region since 1996. The total ECHO Disaster Risk Reduction funding for the region last year amounted to €3.8 million.

Total EU humanitarian funding to Central Asia from 1994 to 2016 has reached €228.4 million.