US State Department’s deputy spokesperson Vedant Patel said Monday that supporting the people of Afghanistan, including helping and addressing the humanitarian and economic crisis in the country, is an immediate priority for Washington.

“Supporting the Afghan people, including by helping addressing Afghanistan’s ongoing humanitarian and economic crises, is an urgent priority for us,” said Patel at a press conference.

He said the US “ultimately wants to see an Afghanistan that is at peace with itself, at peace with its neighbors, able to stand on its own two feet, and our policy towards Afghanistan centers around this goal.”

He added that the US is still the largest provider of humanitarian aid to Afghanistan. According to him, Washington has provided more than $1.9 billion dollars in life-saving aid to Afghanistan since August 2021.

“The US remains the single largest provider of humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan, and we have provided more than $1.9 billion in lifesaving assistance to the Afghan people since August of 2021,” Patel said.

Patel would not however engage on a question relating to a recent comment by former US special envoy for Afghanistan Zalmay Khalilzad, who encouraged Afghan politicians to return home and negotiate with the IEA to form a government of unity.

All Patel would say was that Khalilzad was not speaking in an official capacity.