The Government of Japan has contributed over USD 12 million to the Government of Afghanistan to support improvement of irrigation systems in Afghanistan and to provide fiscal support to the Government of Afghanistan.

The funding, contributed through the Afghanistan Reconstruction Trust Fund (ARTF), administered by the World Bank, will support the following two on-going projects, which are essential to meet the country's needs to improve the lives of the people of Afghanistan, and the recurrent cost expenditures of the Afghan government.

According to a statement released by the Embassy of Japan in Kabul, the Irrigation Restoration and Development Project (IRDP) will include USD 6,150,000 out of the fresh aid.

The assistance from Japan is to co-finance IRDP project to improve the irrigation systems and the broader water resource management in Afghanistan as well as people's access to services. The contribution will help increase agriculture productivity in the project areas.

The statement further added that the Recurrent Cost Window will include USD 6,083,908 and over USD 6 million will be added to the operating budget of the Government of Afghanistan through the Recurrent Cost Window of ARTF, facilitating continuation of the government's service delivery to the Afghan people.

Japan has been assisting Afghanistan's nation-building efforts in various fields, ranging from security to economic and social development sectors including agriculture, rural development, infrastructure and human capacity development. The cumulative Japanese assistance to Afghanistan since 2001 amounts to USD 6.4 billion.