Kabul Urges Japan To Resume Water Project

KABUL (Pajhwok): Afghan authorities have urged Japan to resume work on the New Kabul City water supply project, while the Japanese envoy has pledged to raise the matter with the relevant institutions.

Minister of Economy Qari Din Mohammad Hanif and Deputy Foreign Minister Dr Mohammad Naeem met Mikio Izawa, Chargé d'Affaires of Japan in Afghanistan, and Katy Webley, head of the UN Office for Project Services (UNOPS) here, the Ministry of Economy (MoE) said.

Hanif expressed appreciation to Japan for its humanitarian assistance, noting that the New Kabul City water supply project, worth $24 million, had been suspended for the past four years.

The project, funded by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) and implemented by UNOPS, needed to be restarted, he emphasised.

He stressed that the project, overseen by the Ministry of Urban Development and Housing (MoUDH), was of fundamental and vital importance to Kabul.

Dr Naeem also highlighted the urgency of building drinking water infrastructure for Kabul and called for JICA's approval to recommence the project.

Meanwhile, the Japanese envoy reaffirmed his country's commitment to continuing humanitarian aid.

He said that, in addition to providing 1 million US dollars in emergency relief for recent earthquake victims in eastern Afghanistan, Japan was also delivering 1.33 million US dollars in humanitarian assistance through the Japan Platform (JPF).

He pledged to discuss the resumption of the New Kabul City water supply project with JICA and other relevant bodies.

kk/sa

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