World Bank approves shift to channel IDA funds to Afghanistan humanitarian aid

The World Bank Group said on Thursday its executive board endorsed a new approach to aiding Afghanistan that will deploy some $300 million from the bank's International Development Association fund for poor countries through United Nations agencies and other international organizations.

The development lender said the funds would remain outside the control of the Taliban regime in Afghanistan and would complement Afghanistan Resilience Trust Fund donor financing in supporting critical basic services such as food, water, health, education and jobs.