Women and children walk on streets in Kabul, Afghanistan on December 15, 2021. Photo: AFP/VNA.

The new aid from the US Agency for International Development will be used to provide shelter, health care, winterization assistance, emergency food aid, water, sanitation, and hygiene services.

The new Biden administration commitment brings US humanitarian assistance for Afghanistan to more than 780 million USD since the ending of the 20-year war in August. In addition, the White House pledged it will send Afghanistan 1 million COVID-19 vaccine doses, raising the total vaccine doses provided by the US to Afghanistan to 4.3 million.

The United Nations 2022 Humanitarian Response Plan for Afghanistan, unveiled Tuesday, says the country needs 4.4 billion USD to help 22 million people living in Afghanistan and 623 million USD to help 5.7 million more living in refugee camps in five neighboring countries. This is the largest humanitarian initiative ever launched for one country.