At a conference in Kabul, the Ambassador of Japan announced a fresh contribution to WFP’s activities in Afghanistan. Japan has long been a supporter of the UN’s operations in the country and is the second-largest donor to WFP.
The Government of Japan today announced a donation of US$20 million to WFP in order to provide food assistance to some 400,000 vulnerable Afghans. A further US$1 million was granted to support the United Nations Humanitarian Air Service (UNHAS) in Afghanistan. The donations came in the context of an announcement of a total of US$ 281 million worth of assistance being contributed by the Government of Japan to nine UN agencies in Afghanistan.
“The assistance announced today is a part of our commitment we made at the Tokyo Conference. In exchange, I expect the Afghan Government to implement their commitment, namely, to show improvement in anti-corruption and women’s empowerment and to conduct free and fair Elections” said Hiroshi Takahashi, Ambassador of Japan, at the ceremony. He also requested the UN agencies and the Afghan Government for transparency and accountability in utilizing the funds, and to ensure the assistance is delivered to the intended beneficiaries.
“Japan is the second-largest donor to Afghanistan, and we are grateful for the consistent, generous support,” said Gian Carlo Cirri, Deputy Country Director of WFP Afghanistan. “Thanks to the Japanese contributions – which have been forthcoming to WFP every year since 2006 – WFP has been able to provide emergency food assistance to people affected by natural disasters and conflicts, as well as using food assistance in projects that help Afghans build better food security in their communities. We are deeply grateful for the continued assistance from the Government of Japan.” Since 2010, Japan has donated more than US$ 138 million to WFP’s operations in Afghanistan.