US says it will provide $308 million in aid for Afghans as humanitarian crisis grows

WASHINGTON — The White House has announced $308 million in additional humanitarian assistance for Afghanistan.

The new aid comes as Afghanistan edges toward a humanitarian crisis since the Taliban takeover nearly five months ago.

In a statement issued Tuesday, White House spokesperson Emily Horne says the new aid from the U.S. Agency for International Development will flow through independent humanitarian organizations.

The money will be used to provide shelter, health care, winterization assistance, emergency food aid, water, sanitation and hygiene services.

“The United States is committed to supporting the Afghan people and we continue to consider all options available to us. We stand with the people of Afghanistan,” Horne said in a statement.

Afghanistan’s long-troubled economy has been in a tailspin since the Taliban takeover last summer amid the U.S. military withdrawal from the country. Nearly 80% of its previous U.S.-backed government budget came from the international community.

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