According to Secretary of State Tony Blinken, the United States would contribute $144 million in help to the people of Afghanistan, who have been suffering from a severe humanitarian catastrophe under the Taliban regime. Blinken made the announcement here.
Following extensive vetting and monitoring, the assistance will be provided directly to independent international and non-governmental humanitarian organisations, including the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), the International Organization for Migration (IOM), and the World Health Organization (WHO), Blinken announced on Thursday.
His statement said, “This financing gives direct assistance to some of the more than 18 million Afghans who are vulnerable and in need across the region, including Afghan refugees in neighbouring countries.”
According to Blinken, as a result of this, the overall amount of American humanitarian assistance in Afghanistan and for Afghan refugees in the area would rise to about $474 million in 2021, the highest amount of support provided by any country.
In response to the growing humanitarian needs exacerbated by healthcare shortages, Covid-19, drought, malnutrition, and the impending winter, the secretary of state said the funding would allow partners to provide lifesaving protection, food security support, essential healthcare, winterization assistance, logistics, and emergency food aid.
According to him, “To be clear, this humanitarian aid will be used to help the Afghan people, not the Taliban, who will continue to be held responsible for the pledges they have made.”
Blinken acknowledged that Afghanistan’s neighbours had long hosted one of the world’s longest and most prolonged refugee crises, and he expressed gratitude to them while urging them to continue to keep their borders open to Afghans seeking international sanctuary.
The extra humanitarian money will allow us to continue to help our partners in the area by providing lifesaving assistance and protection services to Afghan refugees, while also continuing to assist Afghans in need inside the country, according to Blinken.
