WASHINGTON, Feb 10: The United States has granted an additional $15 million to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees for its 2003 supplementary programme for Afghan refugees, returnees, and internally displaced persons.

This contribution will help the UNHCR to continue to provide protection and emergency and reintegration assistance to millions of Afghan returnees, refugees, and internally displaced persons.

As part of an earlier, initial $65 million contribution to the UNHCR 2003 programmes, the United States contributed $6 million to support the programmes.

In 2002, the US contributed more than $67 million to the UNHCR for its Afghan operations, the largest contribution of any donor state. Most of those funds were used to assist in the repatriation and reintegration of 1.8 million refugees.