US announces $ 500 million to help Afghan refugees
Washington, Aug 17 (EFE).- The United States announced Monday $ 500 million in aid for refugees and migrants who have had to flee Afghanistan after the Taliban seized power.
In a statement, the White House said US President Joe Biden had taken the sum from emergency funds and allocated it to meet Afghans’ “unexpected” and “urgent” needs.
Washington said it would provide such assistance to migrants and refugees through its government agencies, such as USAID, the American international development agency.
It would also offer these funds bilaterally to countries that host Afghans, as well as to humanitarian groups and international organizations.
Several leaders, such as French President Emmanuel Macron, said they were concerned Monday about the possible arrival on European soil of thousands of Afghan refugees and warned they will not be able to take care of so many people alone.
The Taliban seized control Sunday of Kabul after its fighters entered the capital without meeting resistance, and with almost all provinces under their control.
The fall of the capital and the flight of Afghan President Ashraf Ghani, has caused thousands of civilians to flock to Kabul’s airport hoping to board some of the military flights the US organized to evacuate its diplomatic staff and that of its allies.
Desperation has reached such a point that hundreds of Afghans have tried to flee by clinging to a US military plane as it was about to take off.
Washington will terminate its mission in Afghanistan when it has finished evacuating Americans in the country Aug. 31, if it continues at a rate of 5,000 people a day, the Defense Department Spokesman John Kirby said Monday.
Recently, the US deployed 6,000 troops to Afghanistan and another 1,000 are on the way to assist with evacuation efforts. EFE
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