Donors pledge $1.2 billion in emergency funds for Afghans

By JAMEY KEATEN and EDITH M. LEDERER
Associated Press

GENEVA (AP) — The United Nations has drummed up more than $1.2 billion in emergency pledges for helping 11 million Afghans facing an escalating humanitarian crisis in their homeland and millions more elsewhere in the region. The pledges at Monday’s first high-level conference on Afghanistan since the Taliban took power a month ago were announced as the U.N. human rights chief voiced concerns about the Taliban’s first steps in establishing power in the country. Western governments, traditional donors, and others announced pledges beyond the $606 million the U.N. emergency appeal was seeking until the end of the year to protect Afghans from humanitarian disaster.