LONDON (Reuters) -Britain set out emergency funding support for those affected by the recent earthquakes in Afghanistan, saying it would ensure that the aid does not go to the South Asian country’s current Taliban administration by channelling it through its partners.
Sunday’s disaster – one of Afghanistan’s worst earthquakes – has killed more than 800 people and injured at least 2,800, authorities said on Monday, as rescue operations continued. The country’s response to the crisis has been hampered by the shrinking of funding for Afghanistan, led by U.S. aid cuts.
Britain’s 1-million-pound ($1.35-million) assistance will be split between the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and the International Red Cross (IFRC) to deliver critical healthcare and emergency supplies to Afghans in the most affected regions, the government statement said.
“The UK remains committed to the people of Afghanistan, and this emergency funding will help our partners to deliver critical healthcare and emergency supplies to the most hard-hit,” British foreign minister David Lammy said in the statement.
($1 = 0.7402 pounds)
(Reporting by Muvija M; Editing by Sandra Maler)
