KABUL (Pajhwok): The United Kingdom (UK) has pledged a 75 million pounds ($100 million) in aid to Afghanistan to help the country address its humanitarian crisis, according to news reports.
Foreign Secretary Liz Truss announced the aid on December 10, saying the money would help “save lives, protect women and girls, and support stability in the region.”
The additional financial support will bring the U.K.'s commitment to Afghanistan to 286 million pounds ($380 million dollars) this year.
The new funds will be used to provide support for victims of gender-based violence and to fund essential child protection services.
The pledge came after discussions among G7 foreign ministers, who are meeting in England, about what coordinated action can be taken in Afghanistan and how to engage with the Taliban-led government.
Officials said no funds would go directly through the Taliban, which has not been recognized by any country or the UN, but would instead be funneled through the Afghanistan Humanitarian Fund, the World Food Program (WFP), and other organizations.
David Beasley, executive director of the WFP, said the 34 million pound donation the organization will receive, would "help us save many lives."
"What we are seeing on the ground is heart-breaking -- 23 million people are facing severe hunger in a country crippled by drought, conflict, and an economic crisis," he said, according to Britain’s Press Association.
"Women and children are bearing the brunt of this suffering and, as the harsh winter descends, more and more are slipping into malnutrition and starvation each day."
The economic situation in Afghanistan has steadily worsened since the Taliban swept across the country, seizing power in Kabul on August 15. The United States and other donors cut off financial aid as the Western-backed government collapsed and the US military and other international forces withdrew.
Sa/nh
