US sending $64M in humanitarian aid to Afghanistan

The United States announced Monday it will send nearly $64 million in humanitarian aid to Afghanistan, a day after the United Nations issued an emergency call for $600 million to prevent famine and a public health crisis.

The U.S. was spending an estimated $300 million a day on the war in Afghanistan before its military withdrawal in recent weeks.

The Biden administration has yet to officially recognize the Taliban as Afghanistan’s government since the militant group swiftly took power following the U.S. exit. 

The funding will come from the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and the U.S. State Department and will be distributed through the U.N. and independent aid groups. The latest donation brings U.S. humanitarian spending in Afghanistan to $330 million this year, making it the largest foreign donor, USAID said.  

In addition to these funds, USAID has also created a Disaster Assistance Response Team based outside Afghanistan to run the U.S. government’s response to the unfolding humanitarian crisis, the release said. 

As part of today’s announcement of aid, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken urged Afghanistan’s neighbors to keep their borders open to Afghan refugees and promised to work to ensure that the Taliban does not hinder humanitarian assistance, especially to vulnerable groups like women and girls.

“We will continue to press for the Taliban to respect the rights and freedoms of women and girls, and are committed to preserving the gains Afghans, especially women, have made in the past 20 years,” Blinken said in a statement on Monday.  

This announcement comes after the U.N. reported last week that millions in Afghanistan was beginning to run out of basic aid supplies and food.