(MENAFN- Daily Outlook Afghanistan)The UK Government has slashed the aid it sends to Afghanistan by more than three quarters, according to House of Commons data.
This year the overall development budget has been cut by £4 billion ($5.5 billion), reducing it by around a third, after ministers dropped the commitment to spend 0.7 per cent of GDP on aid.
Aid to Afghanistan is estimated at £37.5 million for 2021/22, down from £167.5 million last year – a cut of 78 percent, Britain’s inews reported.
Ethiopia, which is suffering from civil war and famine, is likely to see a 61 per cent cut from £256.5m to £101.3m. Palestine’s UK aid funding is falling 89 per cent to £10m. Yemen, which has been devastated by war for years, is having its aid cut from £223.9 to £64.3m, down by 71 per cent.
Some middle-income countries including Ukraine, Georgia, Brazil and Thailand are having their aid allocation reduced by more than 90 per cent as a result of the Government’s decision. But a handful of countries such as India, Sudan and Egypt will get more funding from the UK this year than last.
Layla Moran, the Liberal Democrat spokesperson on foreign affairs, told inews:“To reduce development spending just as the UK is withdrawing troops from Afghanistan is the worst of all worlds – it’s like not just pulling out the rug from under our Afghan allies, but pulling up the floorboards too.”
U.S. launches air strikes to help embattled Afghan forces
The United States has carried out air strikes to support Afghan government forces who have been under pressure from the Taliban as U.S.-led foreign forces carry out the final stages of their withdrawal from the country.
Pentagon spokesperson John Kirby told reporters on Thursday the air strikes were in support of Afghan security forces in recent days but did not provide details.
Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid said the strikes were on Wednesday night on the outskirts of the southern city of Kandahar, killing three of their fighters and destroying two vehicles, Reuters reported.
“We confirm these air strikes and we condemn this in strongest term, it is a clear attack and violation of the Doha deal as they can’t have operations after May,” he said, referring to an agreement between the United States and the Taliban clearing the way for the withdrawal of U.S. forces.
“If they conduct any operation then they will be responsible for the consequences.” (ATN)
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