US to give additional $308m in humanitarian aid to Afghanistan

Biden administration to channel more funding to humanitarian groups as millions of Afghans face extreme hunger.
The United States will donate an extra $308m in humanitarian aid to Afghanistan, the White House has announced, bringing the total of US aid for Afghanistan and Afghan refugees in the region to nearly $782m since October. The aid will be channeled through the US Agency for International Development (USAID) to humanitarian organizations providing shelter, healthcare, and emergency food aid, among other services, White House spokesperson Emily Horne said in a statement on Tuesday.
In addition, the US will provide one million more coronavirus vaccine doses through the World Health Organization’s vaccine cooperative, COVAX, bringing its total contribution to Afghanistan to 4.3 million doses.
The move comes as the United Nations humanitarian agency on Tuesday said it needs nearly $5bn in aid for Afghanistan in 2022. This includes $4.4bn for assistance within Afghanistan, and $623m to support the millions of Afghans sheltering beyond the country’s borders. More than half the population – about 22 million people – face acute hunger, the UN said, while a further 5.7 million displaced Afghans in five neighboring countries needed vital relief this year.
“A full-blown humanitarian catastrophe looms. My message is urgent: don’t shut the door on the people of Afghanistan,” said UN Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator Martin Griffiths.
Source:aljazera.com