EU increases aid pledge to Afghanistan and its neighbors to 1 billion euros
(VOVWORLD) - The European Union will give an additional 700 million euros in emergency aid to Afghanistan and its neighboring countries, the European Commission said ahead of Tuesday's Group of 20 Afghan summit.
The pledge takes the total commitment of new funding to 1 billion euros after the EU executive's earlier promise of 300 million euros to help to prevent basic services in Afghanistan from collapsing and food from running out.
EC President Ursula von der Leyen stressed the need to avert a major humanitarian and socio-economic collapse in Afghanistan, adding that group which seized Kabul in August must first meet the EU's five conditions for longer-term aid.