A significant new UK aid package of urgent food, water and medical help, including polio vaccinations for children, will save millions of lives in Afghanistan, International Development Secretary Rory Stewart announced today (Monday, 17 June).

An estimated 13.5 million Afghans are in need of humanitarian aid to make sure there is enough food for themselves and their families.

Mr Stewart announced the UK aid package during a visit of the President of Afghanistan Ashraf Ghani to London. President Ghani also met with Prime Minister Theresa May.

International Development Secretary Rory Stewart, who met President Ghani this morning, said:

The humanitarian need in Afghanistan is severe. Fighting and extreme drought have left millions of people hungry and desperately seeking medical help, which is why UK aid is responding with life-saving food, water and basic healthcare, including polio vaccinations. This UK aid package is a significant contribution to the international response in Afghanistan. We are working closely with the Afghan government in response to increasing needs. But the UK cannot tackle this crisis alone, and other donors must now step up and follow our lead.

In addition to the UK aid package of life-saving assistance including food, water, and healthcare for over five million people, the UK Department for International Development’s (DFID) emergency humanitarian support will:

help over 400,000 people to have appointments with doctors or nurses

vaccinate over 140,000 children under the age of five against polio

provide support and training for individuals and families to protect themselves from climate shocks and conflict

The UK aid funding will support the UN’s Pooled Fund for Afghanistan for humanitarian emergencies, help Afghans deal with the impact of conflict through providing prosthetics and orthotics for over 50,000 people with disabilities, and will aim to build the capacity of Afghan NGOs to take a greater role in the response.

In addition to meeting the needs of Afghans who have been displaced to other parts of the country, the UK aid support will target over a quarter of a million Afghans who have returned from neighbouring countries and who are in urgent need of assistance.

Notes to editors