US announces $327M humanitarian aid package for Afghanistan

WASHINGTON

The US is providing an additional $327 million in humanitarian aid for Afghanistan, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Friday.

"This assistance from the United States will continue to support the scaled-up humanitarian response in Afghanistan and neighboring countries through international humanitarian organizations, including the United Nations Population Fund, International Organization for Migration, and other implementing partners in the region," he said in a statement.

"Our commitment to the people of Afghanistan is enduring. We provide assistance to people in need, regardless of their gender, race, sexual orientation, disability status, religion, or profession," he added.

The funding includes almost $119 million from the Department of State’s Bureau of Population, Refugees and Migration, and nearly $208 million in assistance from the US Agency for International Development’s Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance, the top diplomat said.

It will be used to provide cash aid, shelter, healthcare, and reintegration assistance for individuals either displaced internally in Afghanistan or those that fled the war-torn nation, according to the State Department.

Total US funding for Afghanistan now sits at $1.1 billion since the Taliban took over the country in August 2021.