UNDP PRESS RELEASE DATE: 19 JAN 1998

Swiss government supporting Afghan P.E.A.C.E. initiative

UNDP FLASH!

The Swiss government has donated $400,000 to help strengthen a UNDP community rehabilitation and development programme in Afghanistan, entitled the Poverty Eradication And Community Empowerment (P.E.A.C.E.) initiative. This is the first direct government donation to the grassroots community improvement programme, which was launched in May and with UNDP funds. The Swiss funding enables UNDP to hire a gender adviser in the southern Afghan city of Kandahar, and to construct 20 badly needed community centres as well as irrigation and road schemes.