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| Afghanistan |
| Jizya: Donors Back $280 Million Transfer for Afghan Food, Health as India Sends Aid via WHO, ICRC Pays Medical Salaries |
| 2021-12-12 |
| [ToloNews] Donors agreed on Friday to transfer $280 million from a frozen, trust fund to the World Food Program (WFP) and UNICEF to support nutrition and health in Afghanistan, the World Bank said as it seeks to help a country facing famine and economic freefall. The World Bank-administered Afghan Reconstruction Trust Fund will this year give $180 million to WFP to scale up food security and nutrition operations and $100 million to UNICEF to provide essential health services, the bank said in a statement.. Using reconstruction trust fund money and channeling it through the WFP and UNICEF, both part of the U.N. family, appears to be a way to get funding into the country for basic needs in a manner that does not necessarily implicate U.S. sanctions against the Taliban. ICRC Paying Health Worker Salaries, Buying Equipment [ToloNews] The International Committee of the Red Cross is paying the salaries of 6,000 medical employees and provide medical equipment for at least 23 public hospitals, an official said. “The ICRC is working to remove the obstacles in the health sector. The process of supporting the hospitals will go on for some days,” said Munqad Abdul Rahman Rodwal, a senior official at the ICRC. “The ICRC is providing salaries for employees of 15 health centers across Afghanistan so far. It has provided health products as well.” Afghan Airline Brings Indian Aid to Kabul [ToloNews] Afghan airline company Kam Air brought an aid package of health supplies provided by the Indian government into Kabul on Saturday. It was the first flown-in humanitarian aid from India since the fall of the former government. The aid consists of two tonnes of health supplies. “India donated some health products via the Word Health Organization to the Afghan Ministry of Public Health. We praise it and call on other countries to provide assistance to Afghanistan,” said Javid Hajir, a spokesman for the ministry. India pledged to provide 500,000 doses of Covid-19 vaccine to Afghanistan. Analysts believe that India’s aid was politically motivated. “India's trying to fill the vacuum and gain influence in Afghanistan to not allow its rival Pakistan to remain the winner of the game in the field. I think India’s presence in Afghanistan has more political value than economic,” said Abdul Naseer Rishtia, an economist. |
| Posted by:Fred |