TEHRAN - The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) welcomes a generous contribution of US$875,000 from the Government of Japan towards its assistance programme for refugees in the Islamic Republic of Iran.
This contribution supplements a grant of US$7 million in March 2020 to support WFP COVID-19 response in Iran. This is the largest ever single contribution from the Government of Japan to WFP Iran, and will be utilized to purchase wheat flour, pulses and oil for most vulnerable refugees living in settlements in Iran.
"We're extremely grateful for the Government and people of Japan for their continued support to our operations in Iran," said WFP Representative and Country Director in the Islamic Republic of Iran Negar Gerami. "Refugees are the most vulnerable group in a society and they need support now more than ever to recover from the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic."
WFP currently supports 31,000 destitute Afghan and Iraqi refugees living in 20 settlements across the country with food, education, and livelihood assistance.
H.E. Kazutoshi AIKAWA the Ambassador of Japan in Iran said: "supporting refugees is one of the priority areas of the Japanese official Development Assistance to Iran. The spread of COVID-19 in Iran has definitely affected the living situation of vulnerable groups, including refugees. The Government of Japan recognizes that the cooperation with WFP in Iran, which has continuously supported the food and sanitation of refugees in Iran, is effective in order to sustain the lives and livelihoods of the refugees in constantly worsening conditions."
The Islamic Republic of Iran has been hosting one of the largest refugee populations in the world for well over three decades.
