€44million in aid will be given to Pakistan, Afghanistan and Iran to support people affected by conflict and natural disasters.

As reported by the European Commission, the aid will combat years of displacement and also finance natural disaster prevention in South-West and Central Asia. In addition, this aid partly targets children by financing children’s education in emergencies, yet overall aims to stabilize these regions by meeting humanitarian needs.

Over €2million will be used for disaster reduction in Central Asia. Pakistan will receive the least amount of funding, €7million, to be used for displaced people during international conflict, Iran will receive €10 million to support basic needs of Afghan refugee children and families, with Afghanistan receiving the maximum amount of €25.5million for internally displaced people and returning refugees. Refugee assistance will cover amenities including protection, food, emergency shelter, health, water, hygiene and sanitation. Aid attributed to refugees in Afghanistan strongly correlate with refugee presence in the country.

The Afghan refugee crisis is among the largest in the world, without a clear solution in sight. The European Commission reports 951, 142 documented refugees in Iran, 1.3million registered in Pakistan, and 2.45million registered in Afghanistan. The amount of registered refugees is increasing at an alarming rate. Just this past February, Pakistan’s government extended the validity of the Proof of Registration cards that enables Afghan refugees to stay in the country until the 31st of December 2017.

Disaster risk management has also become high priority to the European Union (EU), which believes that strengthening community resilience to natural disasters is essential through disaster risk reduction funding. Places like Pakistan are highly susceptible to floods, storms, landslides, mudflows, avalanches and droughts, therefore need substantial aid for prevention. In the past, financial support has been given in response to mudflows in Gorno-Badakshan, floods in Rudaki and Penjikent, the earthquakes in Osh. However, moving forward the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Humanitarian Aid & Civil Protection will increasingly expand its disaster preparedness program in Central Asia as a whole.

The aid also targets health services and education for Afghan girls and boys in refugee villages. Children are reported to be most susceptible and harmed during such crisis, therefore money will be allocated to support unregistered children in places such as Iran and Afghanistan where children are out of school and undocumented. “Children always suffer the most in long-lasting crises which is why a significant part of this funding will also focus on education in emergencies. Investing in children’s future is crucial for the stabilisation of the entire region,” said Commissioner for Humanitarian Aid and Crisis Management Christos Stylianides. The aid will also help solidify future provisions of emergency education to out of school Afghan and Iranian children.

Moving forward, the EU will be committed to continuing to provide humanitarian assistance in support of food security, shelter, and protection for the most vulnerable.

According to the European Commission, European projects foresee that the demand for aid will only increase with at least 450,000 more being internally displaced in 2017 and in need of humanitarian assistance.