PESHAWAR: The Commissionerate of Afghan Refugees (CAR) and the UNHCR donated five ambulances equipped to respond to the Covid-19 pandemic to the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government on Wednesday.

The ambulances were handed over to the officials of the relief, rehabilitation and settlement department at a ceremony, according to a statement issued here.

The assistance will enable the provincial government and the departments concerned to comprehensively respond to counter the pandemic.

The ministry of state and frontier regions (Safron) had requested CAR, UNHCR and the provincial government to include Afghan refugees and the five districts where they had high presence in its emergency response to the pandemic.

The ambulances would be deployed in the refugee-hosting districts of Peshawar, Kohat, Mardan, Swabi and Haripur.

On the occasion, Mohammad Abbas Khan, Commissioner Afghan Refugees, said Safron and UNHCR had always provided full support to the provincial government in challenging times.

He appreciated the ongoing measures taken by the government to combat Covid-19.

Bernard Inkoom, the head of UNHCR sub-office in Peshawar, commended the government for including Afghan refugees in the national Covid-19 surveillance, preparedness and response plan and taking measures to protect refugees and their host communities in the province.

Published in Dawn, April 2nd, 2020