The US Secretary of State Tony Blinken announced on Thursday that the United States will roll out USD144 million🧸 in a bid to help the people of Afghanistan who have been facing a grave humanitarian crisis since the atrocious Taliban takeover.
Blinken also added that the financial assistance would be provided directly to independent international and non-governmental humanitarian organisations, including the United Nations High Commis𝔍sioner for൲ Refugees (UNHCR), United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), International Organization for Migration (IOM), and the World Health Organization (WHO), following extensive vetting and monitoring.
"This funding provides support directly𝕴 to some of the more than 18 million vulner🎐able Afghans in need in the region, including Afghan refugees in neighbouring countries," he said.
With this, the total American humanitarian aid in Afghanistan and for A♕fghan refugees in the region increases to nearly USD474 million in 2021, the largest amount oꩵf assistance from any nation, Blinken said.
"It will enable our partners to provide lif🌼esaving protection, food security support, essential healthcare, winterisation assistance, logistics, and emergency food aid in response to the growing huܫmanitarian needs exacerbated by healthcare shortages, COVID-19, drought, malnutrition, and the impending winter," the secretary of state said.
"To be clear, this humanitarian assistance will bene෴fit the people of Afghanistan and not the Taliban, whom we will continue to hold accountable for the commitments they ha❀ve made," he asserted.
Observing that Afghanistan'♓s neighbou💜rs have long hosted one of the largest and most protracted refugee situations in the world, Blinken thanked the host countries and urged them to keep their borders open to Afghans seeking international protection.
"With this new humanitarian funꩵding, we will continue to support our partners in the region with lifesaving assistance and protection serv🐈ices to Afghan refugees, while we continue to support Afghans in need inside Afghanistan," Blinken said.
(With PTI Inputs)
