EU pledges €1 billion in emergency aid to the Afghan people and neighboring countries

The European Commission has released €1 billion in emergency aid to the people of Afghanistan. Earlier, the President of the European Commission promised von der Leyen a 300 million euro aid package. There couple Several crores more at the G20 meeting today.

The G20 of 19 major industrialized countries and the European Union met online today to discuss the situation in Afghanistan. The country has been facing a humanitarian crisis since the Taliban takeover in August. For example, the United Nations has warned of famine and the Afghan health care system on the fall.

money to help organizations

During the G20 talks, the question of whether aid can be provided to Afghanistan without the international community’s recognition of the Taliban government was discussed for the first time. For this reason, the European Commission wants EU money to reach the population in Afghanistan through aid organizations, not the Taliban.

“The Afghan people should not pay for the Taliban’s actions,” von der Leyen said. So this aid package is for the Afghan people and the neighboring countries who can help them first. For example, the money could be used to coordinate migrant flows from Afghanistan.

Regular European development aid to the country of Afghanistan is currently on hold. The European Union decided to do so when the Taliban took power in the country.

contact with Taliban

At the G20 meeting, Turkish President Erdogan and Italian Prime Minister Draghi both said that contact between the international community and the Taliban is essential to help people in the country. “It is difficult to determine how best to help people in Afghanistan without involving the Taliban,” Draghi said.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel has also long been in favor of talks with the Taliban. “Recognition of the regime is not on the agenda,” she said at the international summit. “But dialogue is necessary.”