EU Pledges €2M to Support Vulnerable Afghan Returnees

DID Press: European Union (EU) signed a €2 million agreement with the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) in Afghanistan to launch an urgent program assisting vulnerable Afghans returning from Iran and Pakistan. The aid focuses particularly on meeting the essential needs of unaccompanied women and other at-risk returnees in border and densely populated areas.

Andreas Papaconstantinou, Director for Europe’s Neighborhood, Middle East, and Central Asia, recently visited Islam-Qala reception center during his trip to Afghanistan, meeting families benefiting from EU humanitarian support amid difficult conditions.

The EU is also backing humanitarian flights operated by the World Food Programme’s UNHAS and PACTEC, which play a critical role in safely transporting aid workers and delivering emergency assistance to remote regions.

According to Papaconstantinou, the initiative aims to ensure universal access to aid and bridging vast distances so that no one left behind.