WASHINGTON (Reuters] – A $308M increase in U.S. humanitarian aid will be donated by the Biden administration to Afghanistan. That would bring total U.S. support for Afghanistan and Afghan refugees living in Afghanistan to almost $782 Million since October.

Additionally, the White House announced that the USA is providing one million extra coronavirus vaccine dosages for Afghanistan. That brings it to 4.3 millions doses.

According to the government, assistance will come from the United States Agency for International Development through non-governmental humanitarian organizations that provide emergency food, shelter, and health care as well as winterization aid.

The United Nations says nearly 23 million people – about 55% of the population – are facing extreme levels of hunger, with nearly 9 million at risk of famine as winter takes hold.

The economic crisis in Afghanistan accelerated following the August retake of power by the Taliban. This was after the government that had been supported by the West collapsed and when the U.S. troop withdrawal began.

In an attempt to preserve aid flow to Afghanistan, as the country sinks further into a humanitarian crisis, U.S. officials and U.N. representatives who were allowed to do business with Taliban have been exempted from U.S. sanction.