PESHAWAR, Nov 25: The Japan government will provide Rs5.3 million assistance for child health-care and provision of clean drinking water to Afghan refugees, living in the NWFP and Balochistan.

The agreement was signed by the Japan Ambassador, Sadaaki Numata, and President of Family Planning Association of Pakistan (FPAP), a non-governmental organization, Syed Munir Hussain at a local hotel on Sunday.

The visiting Japanese Foreign Minister, Makiko Tanaka, was also present on the occasion.

According to the agreement, the Japan government would extend support to Afghan refugees through grassroots grant assistance, worth Rs5.3 million.

The FPAP will utilize this assistance on safe motherhood, reproductive health/family planning information and services and safe drinking water supply in 12 refugee camps in NWFP and Balochistan. The project will focus on children, adolescent girls and women.

The assistance to this project is being extended under the grant worth 200 million yen ($1.87 million) allocated for grassroots level projects, under the Emergency Economic Assistance package for Pakistan, announced by the government of Japan on September 21. Japan initiated the Grassroots Assistance scheme for Pakistan in 1989.

Speaking on the occasion, Japanese Foreign Minister Makiko Tanaka said that her government would make all efforts to resolve the Afghan conflict. She said that Japan would continue assistance for the destitute Afghan refugees.

Earlier, the Japanese foreign minister visited Shamshato refugee camp near Peshawar. She visited a basic health centre, vocational training centre for girls and a primary school in the camp. Commissioner Afghan refugees Mohammad Naeem Khan briefed the foreign minister.