Abdul Kabir, the Taliban’s minister for refugees, has met with Kenichi Masamoto, Japan’s newly appointed ambassador in Kabul, to discuss humanitarian assistance and future cooperation, according to a Taliban statement.
The Taliban Ministry of Refugees said the Japanese ambassador told the meeting that Tokyo had provided about $550 million in aid to Afghanistan through United Nations agencies since the Taliban returned to power, up to last year.
In a statement released on Monday, the ministry said the funding has been used for humanitarian assistance, support for refugees, alternative livelihoods, healthcare, water supply, women’s empowerment and other sectors.
According to the statement, the Japanese ambassador pledged that Tokyo would continue its cooperation with Afghanistan and would not interfere in the country’s internal affairs.
The statement added that the ambassador also announced new assistance for Afghanistan, saying the Japanese government has approved a further $19.5 million aid package to support refugee-related and humanitarian programmes.
Abdul Kabir thanked Japan for its continued assistance and called for expanded cooperation. He said Afghanistan is facing serious challenges due to climate change and what he described as the effects of “foreign occupation,” and requires sustained international support.
He added that millions of Afghans have returned to the country over the past four years and are in urgent need of humanitarian assistance.
