Israel donates $500K to Afghans who fled to Tajikistan

JERUSALEM (AP) — Israel’s Foreign Ministry says the country has donated $500,000 to the United Nations for food, medical aid and other assistance for Afghans who fled to neighboring Tajikistan. The ministry’s director general says Israel is proud to be part of the international effort to help Afghan refugees from the Taliban takeover in August. The donation comes as the U.N. made what it called a record $5 billion appeal to help Afghanistan and its neighboring countries. The appeal includes a call for $623 million for the U.N.’s refugee agency to help more than 6 million Afghans who have fled to other countries. That’s about 15 percent of Afghanistan’s total population.