Japan pledges fresh aid package of $1.27m

Monitoring Desk

KABUL: The government of Japan has pledged a fresh aid package of $1.27 million to cover demining projects and veterinary sector in Southeast and North of Afghanistan.

Memorandums of Understanding were signed between the relevant institutions and the Embassy of Japan for the allocation of the funds to implement the projects.

The Embassy of Japan in a statement said Mr. Keiichi Hara, Charge d’Affaires ad interim of the Embassy of Japan, signed the Grant Contract with Mr. Kefayatullah Eblagh, Director, Afghan Technical Consultants (ATC), Mr. Fazel Karim Fazel, Director, Organization for Mine Clearance and Afghan Rehabilitation (OMAR) and Dr. Said Gul Safi, President, Afghanistan Veterinary Association (AVA) for these new projects with a total amount of USD 1,271,646.00.

The statement further adds that the two mine clearance projects will be implemented in Parwan and Panjsher provinces under Japan’s assistance scheme “Grant Assistance for Grassroots Projects (GAGP)”. Successful implementation of these projects will clear 1,526,382 square meters of minefields and battlefields in mentioned provinces.

These projects will benefit more than 5,000 households in Parwan and Panjsher provinces. The area free from landmines and explosive remnants of war in these provinces will provide safe grounds for local residents to conduct their daily activities. The cleared areas will be used for agriculture, animals’ grazing and safe movements of local residents and people passing Kabul – Mazar-e-Sharif highway.

According to the statement, the construction of Afghanistan Veterinary Association Training Center in Gardez city of Paktia province is also supported under the GAGP. The grant will be used for construction of the training center that will help improving the professional capacity of the field veterinarians and para-vets working in Veterinary Field Units (VFUs) in Khost, Paktika and Paktia provinces ensuring the better health of animals and ultimately the public health by providing safe and quality products of animals’ origin.