Asian Development Bank Grants USD 405 Million to Afghanistan

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) on Tuesday approved USD 405 million in grants to Afghanistan as part of immediate humanitarian support in response to the unprecedented crisis in the country.

ADB granted the amount to support food security and help sustain the delivery of essential health and education services for the Afghan people.

The grants are financed by the Asian Development Fund which provides grants to ADB's poorest and most vulnerable developing member countries.

Under its Sustaining Essential Services Delivery Project (Support for Afghan People), ADB will provide direct financing to four United Nations agencies which have presence and logistics in Afghanistan.

Moreover, humanitarian organizations have repeatedly warned of a severe crisis amid the cold winter in Afghanistan.

The grant announcement comes as over half of the Afghan population is in desperate need of life-saving aid especially during the freezing season of winter that has unfolded in the war-torn country.

The Taliban took over control of Kabul on August 15 last year and following this, the country has been battered by deepening economic, humanitarian and security crises.