UNICEF Condemns Killing of Aid Workers Delivering Water in Gaza 
Trump's Iran Claims Spark Market Confusion Over Strait of Hormuz 
House Republicans Near Deal on FISA Extension with Limited Reforms 
Australia Extends Fuel Sulphur Relaxation Amid Iran War Supply Disruptions 
Trump and IRS in Settlement Talks Over $10 Billion Tax Return Leak Lawsuit 
France and Britain Lead 40-Nation Talks to Reopen Strait of Hormuz 
Anthropic CEO Meets Trump Officials to Discuss Powerful New AI Model Mythos 
Federal Judge Dismisses DOJ Lawsuit Attempting to Block Hawaii's Climate Case Against Oil Giants 
Trump Administration Moves to Deport Iranian Academic Yousof Azizi Over Alleged Visa Fraud 
U.S. and Philippines to Build 4,000-Acre Tech Hub Under Pax Silica Initiative 
Iran Reopens Strait of Hormuz Amid Fragile Ceasefire and Ongoing Nuclear Tensions 
Iran-Lebanon War: Ceasefire Reached as U.S. and Iran Edge Closer to Nuclear Deal 
Ukraine's Svyrydenko Returns from U.S. With Renewed Support and Diplomatic Momentum 
Trump Nominates Dr. Erica Schwartz as New CDC Director 
ICE Acting Director Todd Lyons to Exit Federal Government at End of May 
U.S. Senate Blocks Resolutions to Halt $450 Million Weapons Sale to Israel 
Pentagon Taps Auto Giants to Supercharge U.S. Weapons Production 
As Afghanistan faces a humanitarian crisis, the international community is scrambling to send humanitarian aid to the war-torn country. The US under President Joe Biden is set to send an extra $308 million in aid to Afghanistan.
The White House has announced this week that the US will be sending an additional $308 million in humanitarian aid to Afghanistan. The additional aid would bring the total to almost $782 million since October in aid for Afghanistan and Afghan refugees. The aid would be sent through the US Agency for International Development or USAID and to humanitarian organizations that provide shelter, healthcare, and emergency food aid among other services.
The US will also provide one million more doses of the COVID-19 vaccine through the World Health Organization’s COVAX initiative, bringing its total contribution to Afghanistan to 4.3 million doses.
This follows the UN’s humanitarian agency’s warning that Afghanistan needs almost $5 billion in humanitarian aid in 2022. $4.4 billion would be for assistance in Afghanistan, and $623 million to support Afghans who are seeking refuge beyond the country’s borders. The UN said that over half of Afghanistan’s total population is facing extreme hunger, and 5.7 million Afghans in five neighboring countries are in need of important relief.
Afghanistan faced an exacerbated economic crisis in 2021, following the withdrawal of the US and other forces from the country, and as the Taliban rapidly took control. International funding has since been suspended and billions in frozen financial assets have also been frozen.
Meanwhile, the insurgent group has announced that it is expanding its food for work program, using donated wheat to pay for thousands of workers in the public sector. The wheat, which was donated by India, is being used by the insurgent group to pay around 40,000 workers, around 10 kilograms of wheat a day, according to agriculture officials.
The officials also said that the program would be expanded nationwide. The insurgent group has already accepted the delivery of 18 tons of wheat from Pakistan with a pledge of an additional 37 tons and is in discussions with India over 55 tons more wheat.
