ISLAMABAD, Dec 19: The European Commission has agreed to provide 11.6 million euros for NGO-led recovery projects for Afghanistan and the refugee camps in Pakistan and Iran.

The funding would support a wide range of NGO activities in the fields of primary healthcare, rural rehabilitation and water supply and education in several Afghan provinces, as well as in refugee camps in Pakistan and Iran, sources said.

The EU decision follows closely the recent adoption of the regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council concerning Community Aid to Uprooted People in Asia and Latin America.

According to the sources, the funding decision will immediately lead to the signing of grant contracts with 9 NGOs and groups of NGOs with an eye to improving the living conditions of the population, facilitating the return of DPs and preventing further displacements.