Assistance for "Improvement of the Quality of Social Services and Infrastructure and Reproductive Health for Refugees and Host Communities" Project in Turkmenistan

August 31, 2006

1. On the 31st of August (Thursday), the Government of Japan and the United Nations (UN) decided to extend assistance totalling 1,236,598.41 US dollars (approximately 139.74 million yen), through the Trust Fund for Human Security to a project entitled "Improvement of the Quality of Social Services and Infrastructure and Reproductive Health for Refugees and Host Communities" that will be implemented by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) in Turkmenistan.
2. Turkmenistan hosts over 11,000 refugees from Tajikistan and Afghanistan, who have chosen to permanently live in Turkmenistan, whereas a significant number of refugees in Turkmenistan have already voluntarily repatriated to the two countries. The majority of the refugees are settled in remote rural areas which are in need of improvement of social infrastructure. This project aims at empowering the refugees through increasing their professional and life skills and upgrading their infrastructure. The following activities will be implemented;
   • Improving access to quality social services and infrastructure benefiting refugees and host communities by implementing infrastructure development activities such as water sanitation projects;
   • Promote social and economic empowerment of refugees in targeted settlements by providing vocational training for women and children;
   • Implementing up-to-date reproductive health protocols in the targeted areas with particular emphasis on adolescent girls, including introducing reproductive health education for adolescents.
3. This project is expected to benefit the development and stability of refugee settlements and host communities in Turkmenistan.

(Note)

The Trust Fund for Human Security was established in the United Nations Secretariat in March 1999 at the initiative of the Government of Japan. Since then, total contributions have reached approximately 31.5 billion yen (US$ 279.7 million). The Trust Fund has supported more than 160 projects from UN agencies, each one addressing various threats to human life, livelihood and dignity, from the perspective of human security.

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