Kabul – The International Organization for Migration (IOM) welcomes the support recently announced by the Government of Japan which will enable IOM teams to deliver emergency assistance to and bolster economic resilience of thousands of people in areas along Afghanistan’s borders with Pakistan and Iran.

The funding from Japan, totaling, USD 1.5 million, will ensure the continuous provision of post-arrival humanitarian assistance to nearly 5,000 Afghan returnees arriving from Iran through the Milak and Islam Qala border crossings, and from Pakistan through the border crossings at Spin Boldak and Torkham. 

It will also support IOM to enhance the economic resilience of thousands of others – including returnees, internally displaced persons and host populations – in Nangahar province who are grappling with high unemployment and a fragile economy.

“The long-standing commitment of the Government of Japan to IOM’s operations in Afghanistan allows us to reach people returning back to the country in vulnerable situations, often carrying nothing but the clothes on their back,” said IOM Afghanistan’s Chief of Mission, Miah Park.“Japan’s generous contribution also represents an investment in Afghan communities which will generate opportunities to learn new skills and launch their own businesses.”

Humanitarian assistance to returnees will be provided at IOM’s reception and transit centres, which returnees rely on for vital service provision after facing deportation or taking arduous journeys back to Afghanistan. This support includes temporary accommodation, hot meals, onward transportation, medical support, relief items and cash assistance.

Areas of return in Afghanistan also host high numbers of internally displaced people and a vulnerable host community. By investing in skills development and entrepreneurship, the Government of Japan is also helping to create more dignified work opportunities in some of the areas hardest hit by the country’s humanitarian crisis.

“Empowering Afghan communities lies at the core of Japan’s humanitarian and basic human needs support,” said Mr. KUROMIYA Takayoshi, Ambassador of Japan to Afghanistan. “Through this partnership with IOM, we are steadfast in our commitment to enabling individuals rebuild their lives with dignity, while fostering a foundation for lasting resilience and stability across the country.”

"IOM thanks the Government of Japan for its dedication to supporting humanitarian interventions and economic development, which help create a better future for Afghans in precarious circumstances,” added Ms. Park.

For more information, please contact IOM Afghanistan at  IOMAFGHANISTANMEDIACOMM@iom.int