EU chief pledges extra €10 million in humanitarian aid for Afghanistan

EU chief pledges an extra €10 million in humanitarian aid for the Afghanistan humanitarian crisis.

EU chief Ursula von der Leyen on Wednesday, September 15, vowed to boost humanitarian aid to Afghanistan as she pledged the 27-nation bloc stands “by the Afghan people”.

“We must do everything to avert the real risk that is out there of a major famine and humanitarian disaster,” European Commission president von der Leyen said in her annual State of the European Union address.

“We will do our part, we will increase again, humanitarian aid for Afghanistan by 100 million euros,” she added.

The new promise comes after the European Commission — the EU’s executive — already quadrupled its humanitarian aid to Afghanistan for this year to 200 million euros as the country struggles to stave off collapse after the Taliban’s takeover.

Brussels has said that none of the aid will go to Afghanistan’s new rulers and has also demanded the Taliban ensure safe access for humanitarian workers that are in the country.

Von der Leyen said the EU would set out in full its “new, wider Afghan support package” in the coming weeks.

The EU is worried a humanitarian catastrophe in Afghanistan could spark a mass wave of refugees heading to the bloc, similar to the 2015 migrant crisis caused by the Syrian war.

The bloc has set out a raft of conditions on increasing its direct engagement with the Taliban including protecting human rights, allowing people to leave the country, and forming an inclusive government.

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The United States announced on Monday, September 13, that it will send almost €70 million in humanitarian aid to Afghanistan, a day after the United Nations issued an emergency call for €650 million to prevent famine and a public health crisis.

The U.S. was spending an estimated €320million 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.

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