Washington: The US will give $ 144 million to help people facing a serious humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan under Taliban rule. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Thursday that aid would be provided directly to independent international and non-governmental humanitarian organizations, including the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), International Organization for Immigration (IOM) and World Health Organization.
“The fund will provide direct assistance to more than 18 million needy Afghans in the region, including Afghan refugees seeking refuge in neighboring countries,” Blinken said. With this, total US humanitarian aid for Afghan refugees in Afghanistan and in the region increased to about $474 million in 2021, the most by any nation, Blinken said.
The External Affairs Minister said, “This help will provide our partners with the need for life security, food security, essential health care, winter-equity, in view of the increasing human needs in the face of the lack of health care, ovid-19, drought, malnutrition and the coming winter season. will enable us to provide other logistical and emergency food-related assistance.” “This humanitarian aid will benefit the people of Afghanistan and not the Taliban, whom we will continue to hold accountable for the commitments they have made,” he said.
Blinken emphasized that Afghanistan’s neighbors have long faced one of the largest and longest refugee situations in the world. He thanked these countries and urged them to keep their borders open to the Afghan people seeking international security.
“Through this new humanitarian aid, we will continue to provide security to Afghan refugees and support our partners in the region,” Blinken said. At the same time, we will continue to help those in need in Afghanistan as well.”
