The generous grant of over 3 million USD (20 million DKK) will support UNHCR’s essential work to provide humanitarian assistance to Afghan refugees.
Afghan refugee children smiling for the camera in an Afghan refugee settlement in Islamabad, Pakistan. © UNHCR/Asif Shahzad
Afghanistan is experiencing a humanitarian crisis and this has caused more suffering and internal displacement of Afghan civilians. UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, is deeply concerned about the extremely volatile and uncertain situation. Over half a million people have been internally displaced in 2021 alone.
The grant from the Novo Nordisk Foundation will allow UNHCR to significantly improve the life of Afghan refugees and host communities in Pakistan. The donation will be used to provide protection and assistance, including shelter, health care, psychosocial support, education and child protection, as well as core relief items like blankets, sleeping mats and cooking sets, both to those who are already forcibly displaced as well as possible new arrivals.
“Afghanistan’s neighbours need all the help they can get so they can take care of the millions of people who have fled and be prepared for possible new refugee arrivals. For example, Pakistan has hosted Afghan refugees for more than 40 years, and today hosts 1.4 million registered Afghan refugees. We hope that the grant to UNHCR can further support Afghan refugees and host communities in the most heavily impacted areas,” says Mette Ide Davidsen, Acting Head of the Novo Nordisk Foundation’s department for social and humanitarian affairs.
“We are very grateful for this important contribution from the Novo Nordisk Foundation, which will have a strong impact on the lives of thousands of Afghan women, men and children who are in desperate need,” says Henrik M. Nordentoft, UNHCR’s Representative for the Nordic and Baltic countries. “At UNHCR we value the close partnerships we have with foundations and corporates, and I am extremely pleased that there is such a strong response in Denmark. Support from the private sector is critical for UNHCR’s response in Afghanistan and neighbouring countries.”
Over the past 40 years, conflict in Afghanistan has forced millions of people to flee, both within their country and in the region. There are currently more than 3.5 million Afghans internally displaced in the country and more than 2.6 million registered Afghan refugees worldwide – and Afghan refugees constitute one of the largest protracted refugee situations in the world.
Around 90% of all registered Afghan refugees continue to be generously hosted by the countries neighbouring Afghanistan. Their hospitality and inclusive approach towards refugees, spanning decades and generations, should not be taken for granted and these countries deserve all the support they can get.
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