UNHCR welcomes EU's humanitarian aid of pound 21 mln for Afghan refugees and host communities.

ISLAMABAD -- UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency Thursday welcomed the European Union's generous humanitarian aid of pound 21 million for Afghan refugees and their host communities in Iran and Pakistan. This funding will be channelled towards basic services, such as health, education and access to water.

The announcement of the additional humanitarian funding was made at the Refugee Summit Islamabad, which marked 40 years of hosting Afghan refugees in Pakistan. The conference was co-organized by the Government of Pakistan and UNHCR. The European Union's gesture demonstrates continued commitment towards solidarity and burden- and responsibility-sharing with countries such as Pakistan, which hosts large numbers of refugees. UNHCR called upon the international community to further extend its support to refugees and their host communities in Pakistan and Iran, as well as provide targeted development...