US President Mr George W. Bush today allotted $25 million to help agencies meet the needs of an estimated one million Afghan refugees who are fleeing their country ahead of an expected US attack.
In a memorandum to Secretary of State Mr Colin Powell, Mr Bush said it was important to the national interest to free up to $25 million from the US Emergency Refugee and Migration Assistance Fund to meet unexpected urgent refugee and migration needs of the new exodus of refugees.
"These funds may be used, as appropriate, to provide contributions to international, governmental, and non-governmental organisations and as necessary for administrative expenses of the Bureau of Population, Refugees and Migration," Mr Bush said.
World aid agencies are preparing a massive effort to feed more than one million refugees fleeing an expected US attack on Afghanistan.
The United Nations is planning for a possible flood of 1.5 million Afghan refugees if the United States follows through on a threat to punish the ruling Taliban for not handing over Osama bin Laden, who Bush says is the prime suspect behind the Sept. 11 attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon.
UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan asked yesterday for $584 million to aid Afghans facing what the United Nations calls the world's worst humanitarian crisis.