UK pledges $133m in emergency funds to Afghanistan

KABUL (Pajhwok): The UK’s Foreign and Commonwealth Office has pledged to release nearly about $133 million in emergency funds to Afghanistan, reports Sky News.

The pledge came on Friday, a day after pleas from two former aid chiefs, who warned a million children could die from acute malnutrition in Afghanistan.

Last August, the UK had announced doubling its assistance to Afghanistan. However, only £145 million out of £286 million has been disbursed so far.

Around half the money pledged to the impoverished nation remains unspent, just months before the end of the financial year in April.

Sir Mark Lowcock, a former UN under-secretary-general for humanitarian affairs, urged London last week to release the remaining funds.

Another former UN under-secretary-general for humanitarian affairs, Baroness Valerie Amos, also warned: “There will be 3 million children under 5 who will face acute malnutrition by March. Of those, a million children will die.”

The Foreign Office promised to release £97m of emergency aid to Afghanistan for winter. The money will be used to provide more than 2.7 million people with food, health services and water.

The TV channel quoted Foreign Secretary Liz Truss as saying: “The UK continues to provide vital humanitarian assistance in Afghanistan. We have doubled UK aid this year to save lives, protect women and girls and support stability in the region.

“The funds announced today will mean essential food, shelter and health supplies will reach those who are most in need.”

PAN Monitor/mud