The European Union said on Friday it was re-establishing a physical presence in Afghanistan for humanitarian purposes, but stressed it was not formally recognising the Taliban-led administration.
The media quoted Afghan Foreign Ministry spokesman Abdul Kahar Balkhi as saying.
On 18 January, the EU announced the launch of projects worth € 268.3 million for the vital needs of the Afghan people, which are being paid not to the country’s authorities but through UN agencies working directly with the population.
Many Western diplomatic missions have been closed in Afghanistan since the Taliban came to power in August 2021.
In a press release from 18 January 2022 Brussels informs that seven EU projects, worth a total of €186 million, support health, education and livelihoods for Afghans and will be implemented through United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the World Health Organization (WHO) and the World Food Programme (WFP).
Emergency cash support to teachers to sustain children’s learning in public schools – This €50 million project implemented by UNICEF will provide the around 194,000 public teachers nationwide with emergency cash support of around €90 per month for two months during the harsh winter time. This will indirectly benefit more than 8,8 million children in the ages 6 to 18.
School Meals Support to Girls and Boys – Implemented by the WFP in collaboration with UNICEF, this €11 million project will ensure the provision of food at school and to take home for boys and girls in primary school. For girls in secondary level, the EU will also support cash transfers for their households conditional on girls’ school attendance.
Mitigate the health effects of the COVID-19 emergency in Afghanistan – €10 million in EU support will improve testing, surveillance and hospital facilities to deal with COVID-19, working through the WHO.
Mitigate the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic through improved access to nutrition, water, sanitation and hygiene, and gender-based violence prevention – This €25 million project will mitigate the health and nutrition effects of COVID-19 on women and children in Afghanistan, working through UNICEF.
Work towards the eradication of polio, which still prevails in Afghanistan – This €25 million project, implemented by UNICEF and the WHO, will allow for polio vaccine procurement and other measures.
Food and cash for work support worth €50 million – Working with the WFP, the EU will increase food security for around 450,000 persons receiving food or cash when taking part in work programmes to boost food production.
Sustain livelihoods, in particular for women – Working with UNDP, this €15 million project will allow around 23,000 entrepreneurs, mainly women, to receive technical and/or financial support to develop and expand their businesses.
