The US declared Friday more than $266 million in further generous aid for Afghanistan, dedicated mainly for its Covid-19 response, as foreign forces continue their departure from the country.
“As the US pull out military troops from Afghanistan, our abiding commitment is obvious,” top United States diplomat Antony Blinken spoke.
“We remain involved within our full diplomatic, economic, and aid toolkit to maintain the peaceful, stable future the Afghan people need and deserve.”
The funding is designed for fields such as protective equipment, food and health, shelter, and hygiene services related to the Covid pandemic. It also gives for “protection requirements for the most vulnerable Afghans,” including at-risk women and girls.
How much US Aid to Afghanistan?
Total US humanitarian aid to Afghanistan in financial years 2020 and 2021 to $543 million. The $266.5 million, built up to $157.5 million from American aid agency USAID and $109 million from the State Department.
Will US takes Afghan Interpreters with his military to US?
Washington has yet not decided on whether to abandon Afghan interpreters who served the US military, now worrying for their lives as foreign Military withdraw.
Twenty members of Congress on Friday requested to President Joe Biden in an open letter on Friday to “immediately” relocate the more than 18,000 interpreters and their families, who have listed for visas to come to the US.
Each application “takes an average of 800+ days, and we propose to withdraw in less than 100 days,” the bipartisan selected executives state in the letter.
No American entity “has the expertise or right to defend them in Afghanistan after our withdrawal. It would be a decent mess to transfer the efficiency to protect our Afghan partners onto the shoulders of the Afghan Government.”
Pentagon spokesperson John Kirby stated Friday the White House had not commanded the military to evacuate the interpreters.
“We are conscious of some congressional attention in this,” he stated, “but nothing has altered since the last time we discussed about this.”
