Biden administration announces $308 million in aid, 1 million additional vaccine doses for Afghanistan


The U.S. will provide the people of Afghanistan with over $308 million in humanitarian aid, as well as an additional one million COVID-19 vaccine doses, CNN reports, per the National Security Council.
Independent humanitarian groups will disseminate the aid, which will "help provide lifesaving protection and shelter, essential health care, winterization assistance, emergency food aid, water, sanitation, and hygiene services," said NSC spokesperson Emily Horne in a Tuesday statement. The vaccine donation will run through COVAX, the World Health Organization's global vaccine sharing initiative.
This latest administration committment brings total U.S. humanitarian aid to Afghanistan to over $780 million since October 2021, The Associated Press and CNN report. The country has fiercely struggled with both the pandemic and widespread hunger ever since the U.S. exit and Taliban takeover in August, per NBC News. Including those newly-pledged, the U.S. will have sent a total of 4.3 million vaccine doses to Afghanistan, AP writes.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
"The United States is committed to supporting the Afghan people and we continue to consider all options available to us," Horne added in her statement. "We stand with the people of Afghanistan."
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Brigid Kennedy worked at The Week from 2021 to 2023 as a staff writer, junior editor and then story editor, with an interest in U.S. politics, the economy and the music industry.
-
5 health-conscious cartoons about anti-vaccine rhetoric
Cartoons Artists take on RFK Jr's militant methods, the viral lottery, and more
-
September 13 editorial cartoons
Cartoons Saturday's political cartoons include court-approved racial profiling and America's moral compass
-
Giorgio Armani obituary: designer revolutionised the business of fashion
In the Spotlight ‘King Giorgio’ came from humble beginnings to become a titan of the fashion industry and redefine 20th century clothing
-
Russia slams Kyiv, hits government building
Speed Read This was Moscow's largest aerial assault since launching its full-scale invasion in 2022
-
China's Xi hosts Modi, Putin, Kim in challenge to US
Speed Read Chinese President Xi Jinping hosted Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Russian President Vladimir Putin and other Asian leaders at an SCO summit
-
Russian strike on Kyiv kills 23, hits EU offices
Speed Read The strike was the second-largest since Russia invaded in 2022
-
UN votes to end Lebanon peacekeeping mission
Speed Read The Trump administration considers the UN's Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) to be a 'waste of money'
-
Israeli double strike on Gaza hospital kills 20
Speed Read The dead include five journalists who worked for The Associated Press, Reuters and Al Jazeera
-
China is silently expanding its influence in American cities
Under the Radar New York City and San Francisco, among others, have reportedly been targeted
-
Kyiv marks independence as Russia downplays peace
Speed Read President Vladimir Putin has no plans to meet with Zelenskyy for peace talks pushed by President Donald Trump
-
Trump halts Gaza visas as Israelis protest war
Speed Read Laura Loomer voiced her concerns over injured Palestinian kids being brought to the US for treatment and a potential 'Islamic invasion'