KABUL - The United States has allocated more than $36.7 million to help the people of Afghanistan address the COVID-19 pandemic, and expedited $90 million in continued development assistance through the World Bank to support Afghanistan’s national health and education sectors and local government needs.
“The entirety of this U.S. funding comes at a critical moment when Afghanistan is dealing with the effects of COVID-19. We must all work quickly to prevent the further spread of COVID-19; attend to the sick; put people back to work; and protect vulnerable women and children, who can become victims of rising domestic violence in these kinds of situations,” said Ambassador Ross Wilson, Charge D’Affaires at the U.S. Embassy in Kabul.
The U.S. government is coordinating with the Afghan government, international humanitarian partners, the donor community, the private sector, and the Afghan people to support a robust response to this pandemic. This funding builds on resources previously announced by Secretary of State Pompeo for COVID-19 response in Afghanistan, through the following efforts:
$36.7 million in COVID-19 assistance includes:
more than $19.1 million for health and international disaster assistance to support the detection and treatment of COVID-19, as well as protection and health support, for internally displaced persons;
nearly $3.1 million in migrant and refugee assistance for Afghan returnees;
$500,000 to procure COVID-19 prevention and control supplies for correctional facilities; and
$14 million in existing economic support funds to support the Afghan government’s nationwide response to COVID-19.
$90 million in existing support through the World Bank for continued health and education services during the pandemic; to enable citizen-led Community Development Councils to meet sanitation and infrastructure needs; and to support the health sector in maintaining emergency services and strengthening disease surveillance, testing, and treatment.
This assistance continues America’s enduring partnership with Afghanistan and its people. The United States has provided decades of life-saving U.S. government investments in Afghanistan’s health sector. USAID has made quality basic health care services accessible to millions across the country, especially for women and children; created the country’s Disease Early Warning System; and strengthened Afghanistan’s nationwide public health management information system. USAID also has supported water, sanitation, and hygiene programs to help keep millions of Afghans healthy and stave off disease during disasters.
With almost $19 billion spent on development programs since 2002, USAID provides the largest bilateral civilian assistance program to Afghanistan. USAID support has enabled the Ministry of Public Health to make critical strides in providing quality basic health care services to Afghans across the country, especially women and children. USAID also supports the collection of information on a weekly basis on 15 communicable diseases to provide accurate and timely data on the outbreak of disease and seasonal trends to fight outbreaks. (ATN)