US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said that, the United States will provide nearly $327 million in new humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan and Afghans in neighboring countries.

Afghan Voice Agency(AVA)_Monitoring, This funding includes nearly $119 million through the Department of State’s Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration and nearly $208 million through the U.S. Agency for International Development’s Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance, Blinken said in a statement.

The new funding brings the total US humanitarian assistance in Afghanistan and neighboring countries to more than $1.1 billion since the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA) takeover one year ago in August 2021.

The assistance will support the humanitarian response in Afghanistan and neighboring countries through international humanitarian organizations. It will provide emergency cash, shelter, healthcare, and reintegration assistance to internally displaced persons and returnees; as well as protection, life-saving reproductive and maternal health, and gender-based violence prevention and response services.

The funding will also support multisectoral assistance to Afghans in neighboring countries, including health and nutrition services to Afghan refugees and host communities in Pakistan, particularly COVID-19 screening and vaccination services.

“Our commitment to the people of Afghanistan is enduring. We provide assistance to people in need, regardless of their gender, race, sexual orientation, disability status, religion, or profession,” Blinken said. “We welcome the contributions of other donors toward this international response and urge others to generously support Afghanistan’s humanitarian needs and maintain support for the Afghan people.”