LONDON, Jan 28 (Princea Latina) The United Kingdom announced today that it will send nearly $130 million in humanitarian aid to Afghanistan, amid serious economic and financial problems facing the Central Asian nation.
According to British Chancellor Liz Truss, in a statement, the funds will be used to provide food, health services and water to more than 2.7 million people.
Earlier this week, the government agreed to an exemption from UN sanctions against the Islamist Taliban movement that took power in Afghanistan six months ago, to facilitate the work of humanitarian agencies without fear of possible legal reprisals.
The new British aid package, which is part of more than $300 million that London has pledged to the Afghan people, will be channeled through the United Nations Humanitarian Fund for Afghanistan, the World Food Program and UNICEF.
The text warned that any funding would not go directly into the hands of the Taliban.
Last Wednesday, the United Nations Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres, called for the suspension of sanctions and conditions that restrict not only that region’s economy, but also life-saving aid operations.
In a speech before the UN Security Council, the Portuguese diplomat stressed that the international community cannot abandon the Afghan people at the present time, who need peace, hope and assistance as soon as possible, only when their daily lives turn into a frozen hell.
According to the United Nations, eight billion dollars are needed to maintain basic services in Afghanistan.
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