The World Bank announced Friday that international donors have agreed to deliver $280 million in aid to Afghanistan, following repeated warnings that more than half of the country’s population could experience “acute” food shortages this winter.
According to the World Bank, the money from the Afghanistan Reconstruction Trust Fund (ARTF) will be used “to offer humanitarian assistance to the people of Afghanistan at this critical time.”
UNICEF and the World Food Programme will get the funding, which will be used to “fill financing gaps in their existing programs to offer health and nutrition services directly to the Afghan people.”
The bank’s management proposed re-directing funds allocated for reconstruction efforts earlier this month.
Afghanistan is on the verge of becoming the world’s worst humanitarian crisis, according to the United Nations.
During the winter months, around 22 million Afghans, or more than half of the country, will experience a “acute” food crisis, forcing millions to choose between migration and famine.
This is due to a combination of drought brought on by global warming and an economic crisis exacerbated by the international community’s decision to halt aid to the aid-dependent country following the Taliban’s takeover in August — a decision the UN described as a “unprecedented fiscal shock” in a recent report.
The United States froze nearly $10 billion in Afghanistan’s reserves, while the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund cut off the country’s support.
Many individuals in Kabul’s capital have turned to selling their belongings to feed themselves and buy coal to heat their homes throughout the winter.
According to the statement, UNICEF would get $100 million for basic health services and WFP will receive $180 million.
