The Norwegian Government has announced this Saturday an aid package estimated at 22 million dollars (approximately the same amount in euros) for the Afghan population in view of the arrival of winter in the country, an event that will further aggravate the situation of hundreds of thousands of people exposed to absolute poverty.
The funds will be delivered to the United Nations and the World Bank with the aim of «improving food security and basic services», especially for vulnerable populations such as women and children.
«The situation in Afghanistan concerns me greatly and it is necessary that all children, girls and boys, enjoy full access to basic services,» said Norwegian Foreign Minister Anniken Huitfeldt, in a statement carried by the Afghan channel Ariana.
«Over the past year, Norway has worked to mobilize assistance beyond humanitarian aid. Not for the Taliban, but for the Afghan people,» she explained.
The absence of formal diplomatic relations between the Taliban and the international community «has been a challenge in a country where we cannot cooperate with the authorities in a normal way.»
In total, Norway has provided nearly 70 million euros in aid to Afghanistan since the beginning of the year.
