ISLAMABAD: With the announcement of the Japanese contribution of $6 million, the UN refugee agency’s intervention in education and healthcare sectors and legal assistance to some 1.6 million Afghan refugees living in Pakistan received a boost on Wednesday.

A major portion of the aid — $2.3m — will go to health sector and benefit approximately 600,000 Afghans residing in 76 refugee villages.

Another $2.2m will be spent on providing educational facilities to some 96,000 children in these villages. The money will be spent on salaries of 1,000 teachers, upkeep of schools and arranging training, capacity-building and awareness sessions.

The remaining $1.5m will be used to provide legal aid to Afghans registered in Pakistan.

The UNHCR aims to prevent foul play by refugees and will monitor border-crossing points, besides capacity-building of border guards and other government officials.

Law-enforcement agencies and judiciary will be trained and sensitised to ensure respect to refugees, provide free legal aid to them and produce before courts those detained on immigration charges.

Addressing UNHCR representative Neill Wright, Japanese Ambassador Hirosha Inomata emphasised the importance of meeting the needs of refugees with the hope that the new funding would help alleviate the burden of host communities and promote stability in the country.

Mr Wright said the Japanese contribution was essential to the UNHCR’s operations in Pakistan. The funding will allow the UN agency to continue its commitment towards assisting refugees.