INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
Mohammad Jamal Alsaati, Special Advisor to IsDB President and IsDB Coordinator for Afghanistan Humanitarian Trust Fund (AHTF), said this
week that 14 projects, signed in 2023, have materialized at a total cost of $35.35 million.He said in a statement issued Sunday that of
this, $24.14 was from contributions from AHTF with a further $12.21 million provided by implementing partners and other international
organizations.Alsaati said all the services provided have created job and capacity building opportunities for the people of Afghanistan and
that as of March 2024, pledges to the fund totaled almost $35 million, with more funding expected.Alsaati&s comments were in a statement
issued by the Islamic Development Bank, (IsDB), after it released the first comprehensive report on the achievements of the AHTF.The report
highlights the coordinated efforts by the IsDB, its partners, and stakeholders towards &Promoting Self Reliance and Resilience& in
Afghanistan.The AHTF&s mission is to provide initial humanitarian aid but then to prioritize development and self-reliance to move beyond
emergency assistance & promoting reconstruction, empowerment and sustainable development.IsDB President and Group Chairman, Muhammad Al
Jasser meanwhile said following the release of the report that after receiving generous contributions, the AHTF &sprung into action,
delivering essential aid to Afghanistan&s most vulnerable communities.&He said the fund was able to tackle food insecurity, offer child
nutrition programs, provide healthcare, innovative education, clean water, sanitation and hygiene services.&Our projects are making a
tangible difference on the ground,& Jasser said.The Secretary General of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), Hissein Brahim Taha
also reacted to the report and said: &We are very pleased to see several humanitarian and development-focused projects are underway in
Afghanistan & driven by the IsDB in collaboration with its regional and global partners.&But much work still lies ahead, so we look forward
to further help and support from our Member States, in addition to continued financial assistance for the AHTF from international aid and
relief agencies,& said Taha.The fund was established at a Council of Foreign Ministers of the OIC on 19th December 2021.The post Afghanistan
Humanitarian Trust Fund report highlights problems tackled first appeared on Ariana News.
