Countries Donate $1.2 Billion in Aid for Afghans, Eclipsing UN Appeal for $606 Million

A displaced Afghan man drinks from a water tank at an internally displaced persons camp in Kabul, Afghanistan, on Sept. 13, 2021. Bernat Armangue/AP Photo

The U.N. humanitarian chief on Sept. 13 announced that more than $1.2 billion in humanitarian and development aid has been donated to assist Afghans facing a growing humanitarian crisis in the country since the Taliban takeover of Kabul and many other regions.

The pledges, which were announced by undersecretary-General Martin Griffiths on Monday, by far surpass the $606 million figure the United Nations had sought until the end of the year to assist 11 million Afghan citizens in the region, as some have fled as refugees to neighboring countries.