US doing everything to enable supply of humanitarian aid to Afghanistan, avers Ned Price

As the political, social and economic situation in Afghanistan is worsening by the day, the spokesperson for the United States Department of State, Ned Price stated on Thursday (local time) stated that they have been doing everything necessary to enable the delivery of humanitarian aid to the vulnerable citizens of the war-torn nation. He further added that the US does not intend to do anything to obstruct the distribution of such supplies into the nation.

During a press briefing, Price informed, “We want to be very clear to the international community that not only are we not standing in the way of the provision of much needed humanitarian assistance to the Afghan people, but we are doing everything we can to facilitate the flow of vital assistance and support to the Afghan people," Sputnik reported.  

The US has provided nearly $308 million to the Afghan people

According to Ned Price, the US has provided approximately $308 million to the Afghan people earlier in the month, increasing the total amount of humanitarian assistance to over half a billion dollars since mid-August. Price further argued that the US has been a humanitarian leader with respect to Afghanistan and would continue to do so as long as the scope of the catastrophe in the nation remains immense and demands a global response, according to Sputnik.  

In addition to this, earlier in the month of November last year, Price had censured former Afghan President Ashraf Ghani and blamed him for the chaotic scenario that erupted in the country in mid-August, according to Khaama Press. Price believed that the situation in Afghanistan would have been otherwise if Ghani had not abandoned the nation. 

The humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan 

Furthermore, ever since the Taliban gained the power of Kabul in mid-August last year, the humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan has been exacerbated dramatically. As the global community did not officially acknowledge the Taliban, foreign assistance was suspended. Further, Afghanistan's state assets have been frozen, and there have been several international sanctions against the Taliban, which have thrown the already impoverished nation into a full-fledged economic failure.

To support the Afghan people, United Nations and several other non-governmental organisations have provided humanitarian aid in terms of funding, food and other essential commodities. Meanwhile, on Wednesday, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres cautioned that the world cannot afford to forsake the war-torn nation at this time, particularly while thinking about its residents and global security.   

(Image: AP)