Afghan returnees: $30m pact signed in Kabul

Afghanistan on Saturday signed a cooperation agreement with Saudi Arabia and UNHCR on facilitating voluntarily returning Afghan refugee families.
The agreement was signed between the Ministry of Finance, the Embassy of Saudi Arabia and the United Nations refugee agency, UNHRC, the ministry said in a statement.
Under the agreement, UNHRC will spend $10 million until 2021 in phase one as part of the total $30 million agreement, said Ministry of Finance spokesman Shamroz Khan Masjidi.
He said projects in the phase one included construction of seven health centers and clinics in 12 provinces, 13 schools in eight provinces and 11 reconstruction projects in various provinces.
The Saudi government would fund these projects which would assist the returning families in areas of health, education and reconstruction.
Acting Finance Minister Abdul Hadi Arghandiwal on the occasion met with Saudi Arabia ambassador in Kabul and UNHRC office head.
He thanked the Saudi government and the UNHRC for the assistance and said the Afghan government wanted the refugees to return to their homeland and efforts were being made to facilitate them on return.