Japan to assist Afghanistan, its neighbors with Additional USD 65 mln of aid: Top diplomat

Tokyo : Japan will allocate an additional aid package of USD 65 million to Afghanistan and neighboring countries impacted by the migration crisis, Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi said on Tuesday.

He listed a number of obstacles faced by Afghanistan since the Kabul seizure by the Taliban in mid-August, including lack of essential products, growing numbers of internally displaced people, as well as concerns of strong flows of refugees to regional neighbors.

“Based on these circumstances and in response to the United Nations’ emergency appeal as of today the government of Japan has decided to assist Afghanistan and neighboring countries and has decided to offer a total of USD65 million of emergency grant aid through international organizations,” the minister told a press conference.

The total assistance of Japan to Afghanistan will reach around $200 million by the end of the year, he added.

The Taliban have completely taken over Afghanistan in early September, setting up a new government led by Mohammad Hasan Akhund, a former foreign minister during the previous Taliban rule, who has been under UN sanctions since 2001.

In the wake of the military takeover, many Afghans have sought to leave their homeland in fear of the movement. Some escaped on foreign evacuation flights that have been halted on August 31, while others fled to neighboring states of Pakistan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, and Iran, among others.

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