Afghanistan: US pledges more than $ 300 million in humanitarian aid

The United States has pledged more than $ 300 million in a first aid package to Afghanistan this year, following a United Nations call for donations to help the country, which is in the throes of a humanitarian crisis.

With that additional $ 308 million in aid, total US aid to Afghanistan and Afghan refugees in the region has risen to $ 782 million since October, the White House said in a statement.

The United States will also provide an additional one million doses of COVID-19 vaccine in Afghanistan, bringing the total to 4.3 million, according to the White House.

This assistance through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) will be provided through independent humanitarian organizations to provide housing, health care, winter assistance, food, water and sanitation assistance, according to US government.

This money should primarily contribute to the provision of food aid, health and protection from the hardships of winter, USAID underlines at the same time in its announcement.

US President Joe Biden is accused of hastening the Taliban’s rise to power in Afghanistan by speeding up the cessation of military aid to Kabul.

According to the UN, nearly 23 million people – about 55% of Afghanistan’s population – are experiencing extreme levels of hunger, with nearly 9 million people at risk of starvation as winter progresses.

The economic crisis in Afghanistan has accelerated following the rise of the Taliban to power in August following the collapse of the Western-backed government and the withdrawal of the last US troops.

Last month, the United States formally exempted US officials and other United Nations officials from allowing sanctions on the Taliban in an effort to maintain the flow of aid to Afghanistan, which is sinking deeper and deeper into the humanitarian crisis.

SOURCE: AMPE

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Source From: Capital

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