In reaction to an earthquake that occurred last week in a remote southeast area, the United States will give Afghanistan up to $55 million in emergency help, Secretary of State Antony Blinken declared on Tuesday.
The 6.1 magnitude earthquake that occurred on June 22 in the region close to the nation’s border with Pakistan caused at least 1,000 deaths, more than 3,000 injuries, and the destruction of 10,000 dwellings.
According to a statement from Blinken, the new U.S. aid would be used to provide cooking utensils, water jerry cans, blankets, clothes, and other things, including hygiene supplies to stop an epidemic of waterborne diseases, to those affected by the tragedy.
He said that the earthquake “intensified the current humanitarian disaster the people of Afghanistan have suffered for far too long.”
The latest funding raises the total amount of U.S. humanitarian aid given to Afghanistan since last year, when the Taliban took control as the final American-led soldiers retreated after 20 years of fighting the hardline Islamists, to more than $774 million.
The poor country relied on direct aid from the United States and other donors, but these actions compounded the financial and humanitarian crises that have caused the economy to collapse and millions of people to experience food shortages.
According to a top Afghan official, aftershocks have struck the affected area since the earthquake, rendering partially damaged homes insecure for occupants.
