The UN Refugee Agency, the UNHCR, has signed three agreements in favor of the Afghanistan Humanitarian Trust Fund (AHTF) to address access to education, healthcare services and livelihood opportunities in the country. The agreements were signed with the IsDB, which is the trustee of the AHTF.
The agreements will see the UNHCR implement several projects. As part of its efforts in the education sector, 16 integrated schools will be built, which will enhance access to education for over 30,000 children.
The impact of the agreements on the country’s healthcare service network will be felt across over 34 regions through the establishment of eight healthcare centers. According to the UNHCR, the centers will benefit over half a million people from returnee, displaced and host communities.
“The signing of these three agreements totaling US$10 million is another major milestone of AHTF’s journey towards its goal to help and support the vulnerable in Afghanistan through the formulation and approval of high-impact projects,” Muhammad Jamal Al-Saati, the special advisor to the president of the IsDB and coordinator of the AHTF, commented.
According to Khaled Khalifa, the senior advisor and GCC representative at the UNHCR, the decades of conflict in the country have left more than two-thirds of the population of Afghanistan in urgent need of assistance.
The UNHCR estimates the total number of Afghans in need of humanitarian aid at 28.3 million. According to the agency, the humanitarian crisis in the country is exacerbated by natural disasters, climate shocks as well as the recent economic downturn.
Over the past few days, the AHTF has seen participation and support from several other institutions. In late December 2023, a number of other Implementing Partners Agreements were signed with the United Nations Children’s Fund, World Health Organization and the Norwegian Committee for Afghanistan.
The projects, as part of the agreements which support multiple SDGs, will be funded through grants from the fund and humanitarian partners. The total cost of the projects, including the three UNHCR projects, stands at US$24.98 million, US$24.14 million of which is funded through AHTF grants, with the remainder coming from its implementing partners.
Notably, the vast majority of the grant funding from the AHTF was contributed by Saudi agencies, representing 93%. The contributions from the Kingdom are from the Saudi Fund for Development and Kuwait Society for Relief, the Saudi Fund for Development and the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center.