EU to quadruple humanitarian aid to Afghanistan

Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen said the €200m was on top of member states' contributions

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The European Union is set to quadruple its humanitarian aid in 2021 to Afghanistan from €50 million ($58.71m) to more than €200m.

European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen said the decision would be announced at the G7 summit on Tuesday and would “come on top of member states’ contributions to help the people of Afghanistan”.

But the EU is expected to seek safety guarantees and the delivery of aid will be co-ordinated with the UN.

The Taliban takeover of Afghanistan has complicated humanitarian efforts in the country.

On Saturday, Ms von der Leyen said “not a single euro can go to a regime … that denies women and girls their full freedom and rights to education and careers”.

“The situation is still very unclear and very unpredictable,” she said. “We will measure [the Taliban] above all by their deeds and their actions.”

The EU is set to begin talks this week on the possible consequences of recent developments in Afghanistan on security and migration in the 27-nation bloc.

It said most of its employees had been withdrawn from the country.

“We still have a core presence at the airport in order to manage what needs to managed, but the staff of the EU delegation and their families have all been evacuated,” a spokesman said.






Updated: August 24, 2021, 1:57 PM