USAID donates $25m in support of Afghans affected by conflict, disasters

Monitoring Desk

KABUL: The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) announced Tuesday that it has donated $25 million to the United Nations World Food Programme’s (WFP’s) Afghanistan Protractive Relief and Recovery Operation (PRRO) to provide cash-based and food assistance to nearly 1.7 million Afghans—mostly women and children—affected by conflict, natural disasters, and seasonal hunger.

USAID Mission Director Herbert Smith said “This contribution will meet immediate food needs and will allow WFP to work with communities to sow the seeds for community recovery with interventions that empower vulnerable Afghan families, rebuild livelihoods, and prepare for future shocks.”

According to an official statement, USAID is the largest donor to the WFP in Afghanistan. Since 2017, USAID has provided $89 million to WFP to support emergency food and nutrition operations in Afghanistan.

The statement further adds that USAID works with 16 UN and NGO partners to save lives and reduce the suffering of communities affected by ongoing complex emergencies.

USAID’s humanitarian assistance is also meeting the acute needs of highly vulnerable Afghans in water, sanitation, and hygiene; emergency basic health; shelter and non-food items; and food and nutrition assistance, the statement added.