European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen delivers a speech during a debate on "The State of the European Union" at the European Parliament in Strasbourg, France, September 15, 2021. /Reuters
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on Wednesday vowed to boost humanitarian aid to Afghanistan as she pledged that the 27-nation bloc stands by the Afghan people.
"We must do everything to avert the real risk that is out there of a major famine and humanitarian disaster. And we will do our part, we will increase again, humanitarian aid for Afghanistan by 100 million euros," she said in her annual State of the European Union address.