Humanitarian and Reconstruction Assistance for Afghanistan, especially for the Stabilization of the Border Areas

March 21, 2008

The Government of Japan has contributed a total of about 10.3 billion yen (85 million dollars and three million euros) to relevant international organizations as humanitarian and reconstruction assistance for Afghanistan, especially for the stabilization of the country's border areas.
In Afghanistan, where reconstruction started six years ago, certain progress has been made in such fields as the improvement of the governing structure, development of infrastructure, and people's basic livelihood. However, terrorist incidents such as suicide attacks and abduction of foreigners are on the increase, and it is urgently needed for the continuation of reconstruction to extend assistance for counter-terrorism and security measures. In particular, Afghanistan's border areas with Pakistan, the front line in the fight against terrorism, are now a hotbed of terrorism, and the border areas of the country with each of Pakistan and Iran are still unstable because of the inflow of refugees or displaced persons and of drug trafficking.
The assistance is being given to Afghanistan which faces crucial moment for the stability and reconstruction, especially in the border areas, in the fields of (1) supporting Afghan refugees and displaced persons and empowering local communities, (2) assisting the stockpile management of ammunition, (3) strengthening police forces, and (4) strengthening governance, for the purpose of promoting stability and security improvement and achieving early reconstruction. This assistance will also help promote the G8's efforts to assist cooperation and dialogue between Afghanistan and Pakistan.
The details of the assistance are as follows:
- (1) Assistance for supporting Afghan refugees and displaced persons in Afghanistan's border areas with each of Pakistan and Iran and empowering local communities
  - (a) On March 17, $10 million was contributed to the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees to help Afghan refugees and displaced persons return to their homeland, such as transportation and shelter-building.
  - (b) On March 12, $9 million was contributed to the International Organization for Migration (IOM) to reintegration assistance of returnees, such as vocational training and starting-up of businesses.
  - (c) On March 5, $5 million was contributed to the World Food Programme (WFP), such as eliminating food shortage, construction of agricultural infrastructure and vocational training.
  - (d) On March 17, $12 million was contributed to the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-HABITAT) for community empowerment and development for peace-building, such as assistance to support village-level small-scale communities, centering on infrastructure.
  - (e) On March 12, $15 million was contributed to the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) as community development assistance through the National Area-Based Development Programme (NABDP) phase II, such as assistance to middle-scale communities by repairing local roads and improving medical facilities.
  - (f) On March 17, $6 million was contributed to the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) as assistance for education and sanitation centering on schools, such as repair of schools, training for teachers and sinking of wells.
  - (g) On March 14, $10 million was contributed to the United Nations Mine Action Service (UNMAS) to help the Mine Action Programme for Afghanistan deal with landmines and unexploded bombs, such as assistance for the research and removal of landmines and unexploded bombs.
  - (h) On March 12, $2 million was contributed to the International Organization for Migration (IOM) for the border control of Nimruz Province in the southwestern part of the country, such as construction of border control facilities and training police.
- (2) Assistance for the stockpile management of ammunition
  On March 10, three million EURO was contributed to the NATO Partnership for Peace Trust Fund project, for strengthening security and management system of ammunition which was gathered through disarmament and other means.
- (3) Assistance for strengthening police forces
  On March 12, $10 million was contributed to the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) for strengthening police forces through the Law and Order Trust Fund for Afghanistan (LOTFA), such as paying police officers and repairing police facilities.
- (4) Assistance for strengthening governance
  On March 18, $6 million was contributed to the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) for preparatory assistance for a national population census scheduled for the summer 2008, such as training census-enumerators and for establishing census offices in the provinces.
With the firm resolve not to let Afghanistan become a "hotbed of terrorism and narcotics," Japan has extending assistance covering the country's political process, improvement of security and all the fields of reconstruction. Japan has pledged to extend assistance totaling $1,450 million on each occasion of international conferences, and including the present one it has already decided on or implemented assistance of $1,360 million. Japan intends to extend proactive assistance to Afghanistan for its stability and reconstruction.

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