ISLAMABAD: UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, on Thursday launched a one-time cash assistance scheme for some 1.3 million Afghan refugees in Pakistan affected by devastating 2022 floods as well as the prevailing economic situation.
The assistance is being provided, in collaboration with the Government of Pakistan, to reach refugees who are not eligible to access social safety nets available to Pakistani citizens.
The initiative is modelled on the Government’s emergency cash programme for vulnerable Pakistani families affected by floods. Registered Afghan refugees will receive up to Rs25,000, adjusted depending on the family size.
The Minister for State and Frontier Regions (SAFRON), Muhammad Talha Mahmood, and Habib Bank Limited’s Chief Representative, Mohammad Ali Syed launched the scheme on with UNHCR’s Regional Director for Asia and the Pacific, Mr Indrika Ratwatte. Representatives from different donor countries also attended the event.
