The Chinese government donated US$1.5 million of goods and cash
to Afghan authorities on Monday to assist poverty-stricken refugees
in this country.
Chinese Ambassador to Afghanistan Yang Houlan and Afghan Finance
Minister Anwar Ul-Haq Ahady signed an agreement here to confirm the
assistance.
The donation included US$1.3 million of goods and US$0.2 million
in cash and it would cover infrastructure, education, health and
human resource development.
Ambassador Yang said, "China has been a longtime supporter and
an active participant in Afghanistan's reconstruction. The Chinese
government and people will stand firmly with Afghan friends and
provide whatever assistance in its capacity."
About 4 million Afghan refugees have returned home from abroad
over the past five years after the Taliban regime's collapse, but
many are still leading a hard life due to poverty and
insecurity.
Millions of Afghans are still living in neighboring Pakistan and
Iran as refugees nowadays.
(Xinhua News Agency July 10, 2007)
