The Philippines has pledged over P5-million aid to support the humanitarian response in Afghanistan, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said Tuesday, April 5.
It was disclosed that the Philippines announced the voluntary contribution during a pledging conference organized by the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) on March 31.
The country, through Permanent Representative Evan P. Garcia, made the pledge as it expressed its solidarity with the Afghan people and commitment to support international programs in responding to the humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan.
“This is in line with our strong belief that we must open our doors to those fleeing their homelands because of fear of persecution,“ Garcia stated.
The ambassador recalled that last year, the Philippines not only donated to the Afghanistan Flash Appeal 2021 through the Afghanistan Humanitarian Fund but also welcomed Afghan refugees to the Philippines.
During the conference, Garcia also endorsed scaled-up support for socio-economic assistance for refugees and other persons of concern.
He further called for concerted efforts of States to address climate and disaster-related displacement.
Garcia said the Afghanistan pledge is consistent with the Philippines’ resolve to offer assistance to those in need.
President Duterte emphasized during the 76th Session of the United National General Assembly last year that “the Philippines has limited resources during these extraordinary times, but what we can do for humanity and to uplift human dignity, we will."