The program aims to provide financial assistance to 70,000 Afghan vulnerable refugee families
More than 50,000 vulnerable Afghan refugee families impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic received emergency cash assistance from UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency. The agency intends to provide cash assistance to 70,000 vulnerable refugee families in need. The program is similar to Pakistan’s Ehsaas program that has provided one-off 12,000 rupees to vulnerable families.
This program is being carried out in close collaboration with the Ministry of States and Frontier Regions (SAFRON) and the Pakistan Post. The Pakistan Post is currently disbursing emergency cash assistance.
UNHCR’s Regional Director for Asia and the Pacific Indrika Ratwatte participated in distributing cash assistance to refugees at a Post Office in Islamabad. Ratwatte, who is on a three-day visit to Pakistan, also interacted with Afghan refugee elders. The UNHCR Representative in Pakistan, Noriko Yoshida, and senior officials from the Post Office was also present.
Ratwatte appreciated the progress achieved in reaching the significant milestone of 50,000. “I hope that efforts will continue to be made to reach the remaining vulnerable families affected by the pandemic,” he said. He also said that the assistance would help those hardest hit by the economic downturn. “Emergency cash assistance enables refugees to meet their most urgent needs,” he said.
Pakistan still hosts over 1.4 million Afghan refugees, and during the pandemic, thousands of refugees, including daily wage earners, were left without a source of income. During the Afghan war, the number was between three million to five million.
Ratwatte also appreciated Pakistan’s Government for providing refugees with access to public services, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Pakistan Post offers a protected environment for male and female refugees to receive their cash.
He also thanked the international community, particularly Japan, the United States of America and the European Union, for their generous support for the refugees at such a crucial time. Ratwatte will also meet with senior Pakistani government officials, donors and UN representatives during his stay.