The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) of the Republic of Korea has signed a memorandum of understanding with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in Iran to provide financial aid to a project covering Afghan refugee girls in the country.
The MoU was signed by Korean Ambassador in Iran Kim Seung-Ho, and UNHCR Representative, Sivanka Dhanapala on September 15, unhcr.org.ir reported.
Based on the agreement Korea will provide a voluntary financial contribution of $6 million to the UNHCR project titled ‘Protection and Humanitarian Assistance to Afghan Refugee Girls in Iran’.
In collaboration with the Bureau for Aliens and Foreign Immigrants Affairs (BAFIA), under the Iranian Interior Ministry, the contribution will support UNHCR’s humanitarian activities for refugee girls in Iran by improving their health status and self-reliance, and ensuring their optimal access to education and sustainable livelihoods.
The objectives of this project will be achieved through a variety of activities, namely providing assistance to maintain health facilities, constructing or renovating schools, supporting the provision of literacy courses, procuring and distributing hygiene kits, procuring and distributing sanitary kits, providing business training to establish home-based enterprises, and providing formal vocational training.
The project will be launched on January 1 and conclude on December 31, 2017.
Iran has hosted and supported one of the largest urban refugee situations in the world for the past four decades.
An estimated 951,000 registered Afghan refugees, 28,000 Iraqi refugees and some 1.5-2 million undocumented Afghans are currently living in Iran, many of whom are second or third generation refugees that have never been to Afghanistan.
