America’s attempt to vaccinate the world against COVID is about to come to an end.

“We are at a point now where without additional funding we are going to have to start winding down our programming,” said Jeremy Konyndyk, the leader of the United States Agency for International Development’s COVID-19 task force. Such funding does not appear to be forthcoming. Our gruesomely dysfunctional politics are going to lead to more illness and death across the globe, and we’re increasing the odds that a new viral mutation will once again upend American life. If it does, we might call it the filibuster variant.

Even for a body as broken and ineffectual as Congress, this level of self-sabotage is hard to fathom. “The biggest risk we face domestically and globally is more new variants,” said Konyndyk. Such variants, he said, are most likely to emerge in chronically immunocompromised populations, including people living with diseases like HIV and tuberculosis; because they have trouble clearing the coronavirus, it lingers and has more opportunities to evolve.

“That’s likely where omicron came from, quite possibly where delta came from,” Konyndyk said. “So making sure that we are targeting those populations for vaccination and then targeting them with the rollout of antivirals is the best insurance policy we have against new variants. It’s not foolproof, but it’s the best we can do.”

But it seems we are not going to do it. Part of the blame for this lies with House Democrats. Far more belongs to Senate Republicans.

The Democrats miscalculated last month when, amid internal dissension, they stripped a $15.6 billion COVID aid package from the $1.5 trillion omnibus spending bill. Senate Republicans had insisted that the COVID aid come from money that was already appropriated but unspent. So congressional leaders devised a scheme drawing $7 billion from funds that had been set aside for state and local governments in last year’s American Rescue Plan.

House Democrats — as well as governors in both parties — had good reason to object, because state and local lawmakers had made their budgets with that money in mind. Twenty states got their American Rescue Plan money all at once, but in the remaining 30 states it was supposed to come in two tranches. Those states were suddenly looking at substantial budget cuts.

“A bunch of House members said no, we’re not going to vote to cut our own state budgets and have to go home and explain why we’ve cut these budgets,” said Rep. Pramila Jayapal, chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus.

After a revolt among her own members, Speaker Nancy Pelosi was forced to pull the COVID aid from the omnibus bill. But if House Democrats thought they would get another chance to negotiate international COVID funds, they underestimated the nihilism of the Republican Party.

Because of the filibuster, Senate Democrats need 10 Republicans to support a stand-alone COVID bill, and Republicans are balking at more money for international COVID programs. “I’m frankly struggling,” Chris Coons, a Democratic senator known for his commitment to bipartisanship, said of trying to negotiate an agreement. He describes a basic disagreement between the caucuses over the threat posed by COVID. A number of his Republican colleagues, said Coons, have told him, “We’re done with this pandemic.”

Since they are largely indifferent to whether additional COVID funding passes, some Republicans have used it as leverage in their demand for tougher border policies. They are holding up authorization of any more COVID aid unless the administration reinstates Title 42, a policy adopted in 2020 to rapidly expel migrants without letting them apply for asylum, all in the name of protecting public health.

The USAID funding is not fungible — the agency can’t simply transfer resources from other programs to keep its vaccine program going, or to start providing antivirals like Paxlovid. As a last-ditch measure, Coons tried to get Republicans to agree to give the agency emergency authority to move its own money around to address the pandemic, but he couldn’t get enough of them onboard.

As a result of this intransigence, many of the vaccine doses America already donated could go to waste. At this point, there’s no longer a global vaccine shortage — the problem is that many countries lack the infrastructure required to transport and administer them. The impasse in the Senate, Coons said, means we aren’t delivering millions of vaccine shots that we have already paid for.

Coons holds out hope that there could be a breakthrough in the Senate in three or four weeks, after it returns from recess. But it’s not easy to restart programs once they have been stopped, and in the meantime, we are pointlessly imperiling both our own health and the health of people all over the planet.

There’s also a political cost to abandoning the rest of the world on COVID. At a time of renewed great-power competition, America’s effective vaccines could give us a diplomatic advantage. Last year, said Coons, “both Russia and China made big fanfares about delivering planeloads of vaccines to dozens of countries in the developing world. Those vaccines are ineffective against omicron. Our vaccines are effective.” Our Congress, unfortunately, is not.

America’s attempt to vaccinate the world against COVID is about to come to an end. “We are at a point now where without additional funding we are going to have to start winding down our programming,” said Jeremy Konyndyk, the leader of the United States Agency for International Development’s COVID-19 task force.

America’s attempt to vaccinate the world against COVID is about to come to an end. “We are at a point now where without additional funding we are going to have to start winding down our programming,” said Jeremy Konyndyk, the leader of the United States Agency for International Development’s COVID-19 task force. Such funding does not appear to be forthcoming. Our gruesomely dysfunctional politics are going to lead to more illness and death across the globe, and we’re increasing the odds that a new viral mutation will once again upend American life. If it does, we might call it the filibuster variant. Even for a body as broken and ineffectual as Congress, this level of self-sabotage is hard to fathom. “The biggest risk we face domestically and globally is more new variants,” said Konyndyk. Such variants, he said, are most likely to emerge in chronically immunocompromised populations, including people living with diseases like HIV and tuberculosis; because they have trouble clearing the coronavirus, it lingers and has more opportunities to evolve. “That’s likely where omicron came from, quite possibly where delta came from,” Konyndyk said. “So making sure that we are targeting those populations for vaccination and then targeting them with the rollout of antivirals is the best insurance policy we have against new variants. It’s not foolproof, but it’s the best we can do.” But it seems we are not going to do it. Part of the blame for this lies with House Democrats. Far more belongs to Senate Republicans. The Democrats miscalculated last month when, amid internal dissension, they stripped a $15.6 billion COVID aid package from the $1.5 trillion omnibus spending bill. Senate Republicans had insisted that the COVID aid come from money that was already appropriated but unspent. So congressional leaders devised a scheme drawing $7 billion from funds that had been set aside for state and local governments in last year’s American Rescue Plan. House Democrats — as well as governors in both parties — had good reason to object, because state and local lawmakers had made their budgets with that money in mind. Twenty states got their American Rescue Plan money all at once, but in the remaining 30 states it was supposed to come in two tranches. Those states were suddenly looking at substantial budget cuts. “A bunch of House members said no, we’re not going to vote to cut our own state budgets and have to go home and explain why we’ve cut these budgets,” said Rep. Pramila Jayapal, chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus. After a revolt among her own members, Speaker Nancy Pelosi was forced to pull the COVID aid from the omnibus bill. But if House Democrats thought they would get another chance to negotiate international COVID funds, they underestimated the nihilism of the Republican Party. Because of the filibuster, Senate Democrats need 10 Republicans to support a stand-alone COVID bill, and Republicans are balking at more money for international COVID programs. “I’m frankly struggling,” Chris Coons, a Democratic senator known for his commitment to bipartisanship, said of trying to negotiate an agreement. He describes a basic disagreement between the caucuses over the threat posed by COVID. A number of his Republican colleagues, said Coons, have told him, “We’re done with this pandemic.” Since they are largely indifferent to whether additional COVID funding passes, some Republicans have used it as leverage in their demand for tougher border policies. They are holding up authorization of any more COVID aid unless the administration reinstates Title 42, a policy adopted in 2020 to rapidly expel migrants without letting them apply for asylum, all in the name of protecting public health. The USAID funding is not fungible — the agency can’t simply transfer resources from other programs to keep its vaccine program going, or to start providing antivirals like Paxlovid. As a last-ditch measure, Coons tried to get Republicans to agree to give the agency emergency authority to move its own money around to address the pandemic, but he couldn’t get enough of them onboard. As a result of this intransigence, many of the vaccine doses America already donated could go to waste. At this point, there’s no longer a global vaccine shortage — the problem is that many countries lack the infrastructure required to transport and administer them. The impasse in the Senate, Coons said, means we aren’t delivering millions of vaccine shots that we have already paid for. Coons holds out hope that there could be a breakthrough in the Senate in three or four weeks, after it returns from recess. But it’s not easy to restart programs once they have been stopped, and in the meantime, we are pointlessly imperiling both our own health and the health of people all over the planet. There’s also a political cost to abandoning the rest of the world on COVID. At a time of renewed great-power competition, America’s effective vaccines could give us a diplomatic advantage. Last year, said Coons, “both Russia and China made big fanfares about delivering planeloads of vaccines to dozens of countries in the developing world. Those vaccines are ineffective against omicron. Our vaccines are effective.” Our Congress, unfortunately, is not.

The unbelievable stupidity of ending global Covid aid

The United States announced on Friday, more than $266 million in additional humanitarian aid for Afghanistan, intended mainly for its <a href="https://www.wionews.com/topics/coronavirus">COVID-19</a> response, as foreign troops continue their withdrawal from the country.

"As the United States withdraws military forces from Afghanistan, our enduring commitment is clear," top US diplomat Antony Blinken said.

Also Read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/lot-of-fear-in-pakistan-pm-imran-khan-on-troop-pullout-in-afghanistan-389538">'Lot of fear' in Pakistan, PM Imran Khan on troop pullout in Afghanistan</a>

"We remain engaged through our full diplomatic, economic and assistance toolkit to support the peaceful, stable future the Afghan people want and deserve."

The aid is intended for areas such as protective equipment, shelter, food and health and hygiene services related to the Covid pandemic. It also provides for "protection needs for the most vulnerable Afghans," including at-risk women and girls.

Also Read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/as-us-troops-leave-afghanistan-lawmakers-fear-dark-future-for-women-380965">As US troops leave Afghanistan, lawmakers fear dark future for women</a>

The $266.5 million, made up of $157.5 million from American aid agency USAID and $109 million from the State Department, brings total US humanitarian aid to Afghanistan in fiscal years 2020 and 2021 to $543 million.

Washington has still not made a decision on whether to evacuate Afghan interpreters, who worked with the US military, now fearing for their lives as foreign troops pull out.

Also Read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/first-doses-of-covid-19-vaccine-arrive-in-afghanistan-from-india-361940">First doses of COVID-19 vaccine arrive in Afghanistan from India</a>

Twenty members of Congress on Friday appealed to President Joe Biden in an open letter on Friday to "immediately" evacuate the more than 18,000 interpreters and their families, who have filed for visas to come to the United States.

<iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/afghans-who-helped-us-fear-being-left-behind-and-reprisals-by-taiwan-385647/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe>

Each application "takes an average of 800+ days, and we plan to withdraw in less than 100 days," the bipartisan elected officials say in the letter.

No American entity "has the ability or authority to protect them in Afghanistan after our withdrawal. It would be a moral failure to transfer the responsibility to protect our Afghan partners onto the shoulders of the Afghan Government."

Also Read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/children-risk-generational-catastrophe-from-covid-19-watchdog-389109">Children risk 'generational catastrophe' from COVID-19: Watchdog</a>

Pentagon spokesman John Kirby said on Friday the White House had not ordered the military to evacuate the interpreters.

"We're aware of some congressional interest in this," he said, "but nothing has changed since last time we talked about this."

The United States announced on Friday, more than $266 million in additional humanitarian aid for Afghanistan, intended mainly for its COVID-19 response, as foreign troops continue their withdrawal from the country.

The United States announced on Friday, more than $266 million in additional humanitarian aid for Afghanistan, intended mainly for its COVID-19 response, as foreign troops continue their withdrawal from the country. "As the United States withdraws military forces from Afghanistan, our enduring commitment is clear," top US diplomat Antony Blinken said. Also Read | 'Lot of fear' in Pakistan, PM Imran Khan on troop pullout in Afghanistan "We remain engaged through our full diplomatic, economic and assistance toolkit to support the peaceful, stable future the Afghan people want and deserve." The aid is intended for areas such as protective equipment, shelter, food and health and hygiene services related to the Covid pandemic. It also provides for "protection needs for the most vulnerable Afghans," including at-risk women and girls. Also Read | As US troops leave Afghanistan, lawmakers fear dark future for women The $266.5 million, made up of $157.5 million from American aid agency USAID and $109 million from the State Department, brings total US humanitarian aid to Afghanistan in fiscal years 2020 and 2021 to $543 million. Washington has still not made a decision on whether to evacuate Afghan interpreters, who worked with the US military, now fearing for their lives as foreign troops pull out. Also Read | First doses of COVID-19 vaccine arrive in Afghanistan from India Twenty members of Congress on Friday appealed to President Joe Biden in an open letter on Friday to "immediately" evacuate the more than 18,000 interpreters and their families, who have filed for visas to come to the United States. Each application "takes an average of 800+ days, and we plan to withdraw in less than 100 days," the bipartisan elected officials say in the letter. No American entity "has the ability or authority to protect them in Afghanistan after our withdrawal. It would be a moral failure to transfer the responsibility to protect our Afghan partners onto the shoulders of the Afghan Government." Also Read | Children risk 'generational catastrophe' from COVID-19: Watchdog Pentagon spokesman John Kirby said on Friday the White House had not ordered the military to evacuate the interpreters. "We're aware of some congressional interest in this," he said, "but nothing has changed since last time we talked about this."

US sending $266.5 million in aid to Afghanistan for Covid response

US President Joe Biden scored a legislative win on early Saturday as the&nbsp;House passed his $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief package -- four days after the Covid-19 death toll surpassed 500,000 in the United States.

The sprawling measure backed by Biden and described by Democrats as a moral imperative now heads to the Senate for consideration next week.

The bill, which cleared the House on a party-line vote of 219 to 212, includes a provision to raise the minimum wage to $15 an hour, but due to a Senate ruling the language will be stripped out of the final version.

The American Rescue Plan would pay for vaccines and medical supplies and send a new round of emergency financial aid to households, small businesses and state and local governments.

Democrats said the package was needed to fight a pandemic that has killed more than 500,000 Americans and thrown millions out of work.

The House vote amounted to a successful first test for Democrats, who hold a narrow 221-211 majority in the chamber. Progressives and moderates in the party who are often at odds will face tougher battles ahead on immigration and climate change initiatives that Biden wants to push.

The president has focussed his first weeks in office on tackling the greatest US public health crisis in a century, which has upended most aspects of American life.

Democrats aim to get the bill to him to sign into law before mid-March, when enhanced unemployment benefits and some other types of aid are due to expire.

The bill's big-ticket items include $1,400 direct payments to individuals, a $400-per-week federal unemployment benefit through August 29, and help for those in difficulty paying rents and home mortgages during the pandemic.

The action now moves to the Senate, where Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris may have to cast a tie-breaking vote in a chamber where Republicans control 50 seats and Democrats and their allies control the other 50.

(with inputs from agencies)

US President Joe Biden scored a legislative win on early Saturday as the House passed his $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief package -- four days after the Covid-19 death toll surpassed 500,000 in the United States.

US President Joe Biden scored a legislative win on early Saturday as the House passed his $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief package -- four days after the Covid-19 death toll surpassed 500,000 in the United States. The sprawling measure backed by Biden and described by Democrats as a moral imperative now heads to the Senate for consideration next week. The bill, which cleared the House on a party-line vote of 219 to 212, includes a provision to raise the minimum wage to $15 an hour, but due to a Senate ruling the language will be stripped out of the final version. The American Rescue Plan would pay for vaccines and medical supplies and send a new round of emergency financial aid to households, small businesses and state and local governments. Democrats said the package was needed to fight a pandemic that has killed more than 500,000 Americans and thrown millions out of work. The House vote amounted to a successful first test for Democrats, who hold a narrow 221-211 majority in the chamber. Progressives and moderates in the party who are often at odds will face tougher battles ahead on immigration and climate change initiatives that Biden wants to push. The president has focussed his first weeks in office on tackling the greatest US public health crisis in a century, which has upended most aspects of American life. Democrats aim to get the bill to him to sign into law before mid-March, when enhanced unemployment benefits and some other types of aid are due to expire. The bill's big-ticket items include $1,400 direct payments to individuals, a $400-per-week federal unemployment benefit through August 29, and help for those in difficulty paying rents and home mortgages during the pandemic. The action now moves to the Senate, where Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris may have to cast a tie-breaking vote in a chamber where Republicans control 50 seats and Democrats and their allies control the other 50. (with inputs from agencies)

Biden scores legislative win, Covid relief plan to move to Senate next

President Joe Biden is ordering an expansion of government benefits for hungry Americans, after the coronavirus pandemic ignited the worst food crisis the United States has seen in modern times.

The decree, one of two executive orders he is to sign on Friday, represents one of Biden's first actions to revive the world's largest economy after Covid-19 caused mass layoffs that have left many people scrambling to pay the bills.&nbsp;

"The American people can't afford to wait. And so many are hanging by a thread, they need help, and we are committed to doing everything we can to provide that help as quickly as possible," said&nbsp;Brian Deese, director of the National Economic Council.

Biden's main initiative to turn the economy around is a $1.9 trillion "rescue" package that he outlined last week, followed by a promised proposal aimed at fueling job creation and spurring hiring.

"Much, much more is needed. And so that's why, as we take these actions, we will continue to engage with Congress and with the American people around the need to move on the American rescue plan," Deese told reporters.

The orders also instruct government agencies to help people more quickly access federal stimulus payments, allow workers to leave jobs that could jeopardize their health, and expand protections for federal workers.

- Economy wrecked -

Even after two massive government aid packages, the US economy is reeling from the damage caused by the pandemic, which has killed more than 410,000 people -- the highest death toll in any country.

The Labor Department reported more than 1.3 million new applications for unemployment were filed last week, and as of the first week of January, nearly 16 million people were still receiving some form of government jobless benefits.

Amid the widespread joblessness, many families are struggling to pay for groceries: the Commerce Department reported in mid-December that 13.7 percent of adults lived in households where they sometimes or often did not have enough to eat.

Schools' decisions to close or modify their schedules due to the pandemic worsened the hunger crisis, as many poor children rely on meals served there.

The government last year offered families food aid equivalent to what their children would be getting at school, and Biden's order expands that by 15 percent, which the White House said would give a family with three children more than $100 extra every two months.

The president's order also instructs the Agriculture Department to issue guidance that would allow states to expand food aid to an additional 12 million people, and reevaluate its basis for determining benefits, according to the White House.

"These executive actions are quite a big deal," Lauren Bauer, an economic studies fellow at the Brookings Institution, told AFP.&nbsp;

"Every other month, a low-income family gets to make another grocery run. That is some serious firepower for the economy."

- 'Model employer' -

Congress has issued many Americans fresh stimulus checks totaling up to $600,&nbsp;but not everyone received them quickly: Biden's order calls for the Treasury Department to find ways to get that money to those in need.

It also asks the Labor Department to let people who turn down jobs that could harm them, including by exposing them to Covid-19, to be allowed to claim unemployment benefits.

Biden's second order restores collective bargaining rights to federal government employees, and instructs agencies to do the preliminary work to allow him to issue a new order requiring federal contractors to&nbsp;pay their workers a minimum of $15 an hour and provide them with paid emergency leave.

"These steps are designed to help ensure the federal government is a model employer," Deese said.

Biden has proposed raising the national minimum wage to $15, but that would require approval by Congress, where Democrats have a slim majority.

President Joe Biden is ordering an expansion of government benefits for hungry Americans, after the coronavirus pandemic ignited the worst food crisis the United States has seen in modern times.

President Joe Biden is ordering an expansion of government benefits for hungry Americans, after the coronavirus pandemic ignited the worst food crisis the United States has seen in modern times. The decree, one of two executive orders he is to sign on Friday, represents one of Biden's first actions to revive the world's largest economy after Covid-19 caused mass layoffs that have left many people scrambling to pay the bills. "The American people can't afford to wait. And so many are hanging by a thread, they need help, and we are committed to doing everything we can to provide that help as quickly as possible," said Brian Deese, director of the National Economic Council. Biden's main initiative to turn the economy around is a $1.9 trillion "rescue" package that he outlined last week, followed by a promised proposal aimed at fueling job creation and spurring hiring. "Much, much more is needed. And so that's why, as we take these actions, we will continue to engage with Congress and with the American people around the need to move on the American rescue plan," Deese told reporters. The orders also instruct government agencies to help people more quickly access federal stimulus payments, allow workers to leave jobs that could jeopardize their health, and expand protections for federal workers. - Economy wrecked - Even after two massive government aid packages, the US economy is reeling from the damage caused by the pandemic, which has killed more than 410,000 people -- the highest death toll in any country. The Labor Department reported more than 1.3 million new applications for unemployment were filed last week, and as of the first week of January, nearly 16 million people were still receiving some form of government jobless benefits. Amid the widespread joblessness, many families are struggling to pay for groceries: the Commerce Department reported in mid-December that 13.7 percent of adults lived in households where they sometimes or often did not have enough to eat. Schools' decisions to close or modify their schedules due to the pandemic worsened the hunger crisis, as many poor children rely on meals served there. The government last year offered families food aid equivalent to what their children would be getting at school, and Biden's order expands that by 15 percent, which the White House said would give a family with three children more than $100 extra every two months. The president's order also instructs the Agriculture Department to issue guidance that would allow states to expand food aid to an additional 12 million people, and reevaluate its basis for determining benefits, according to the White House. "These executive actions are quite a big deal," Lauren Bauer, an economic studies fellow at the Brookings Institution, told AFP. "Every other month, a low-income family gets to make another grocery run. That is some serious firepower for the economy." - 'Model employer' - Congress has issued many Americans fresh stimulus checks totaling up to $600, but not everyone received them quickly: Biden's order calls for the Treasury Department to find ways to get that money to those in need. It also asks the Labor Department to let people who turn down jobs that could harm them, including by exposing them to Covid-19, to be allowed to claim unemployment benefits. Biden's second order restores collective bargaining rights to federal government employees, and instructs agencies to do the preliminary work to allow him to issue a new order requiring federal contractors to pay their workers a minimum of $15 an hour and provide them with paid emergency leave. "These steps are designed to help ensure the federal government is a model employer," Deese said. Biden has proposed raising the national minimum wage to $15, but that would require approval by Congress, where Democrats have a slim majority.

Biden orders expanded aid to address growing hunger crisis

Spain is fighting an odd crisis it's high on cash, but low on ideas. Spain does not know how to spend.

It's got 166 billion dollars in grants and loans is from the European Union recovery fund for the covid-19 crisis and the crisis is severe.

Spain's economy slumped 18.5% in the second quarter the second worst in the region after the UK. Spain's ailing economy will receive around 140 billion euros or $166 billion out of the EU's 750-billion-euro coronavirus recovery package.

This includes 43 billion Euros in grants in the next two years alone — this is equivalent to about 8% of Spain’s annual expenditure.

Spain needs concrete investment projects to rescue the economy coming in the way is a prolonged political paralysis.

The country has not been able to approve a full-year budget since 2016, so suddenly absorbing all that extra cash is a challenge. There are concerns over how to set up the machinery to take on this amount of liquidity and this by the way is cash that the Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez fought hard for at an EU summit in July.

He has now put his office in charge and the economy minister is finalising a plan to be presented to Brussels by October 15.There are many countries that would love to be in Spain’s position.

In April when the pandemic began. Over 90 countries requested the international monetary fund for emergency funds and then, you have war-torn countries like Afghanistan and Yemen that have been combating covid-19 amid the raging conflicts. Spain's crisis sounds like a luxury.

(With inputs from agencies)

Spain is fighting an odd crisis it's high on cash, but low on ideas. Spain does not know how to spend. It's got 166 billion dollars in grants and loans is from the European Union recovery fund for the covid-19 crisis and the crisis is severe.

Spain is fighting an odd crisis it's high on cash, but low on ideas. Spain does not know how to spend. It's got 166 billion dollars in grants and loans is from the European Union recovery fund for the covid-19 crisis and the crisis is severe. Spain's economy slumped 18.5% in the second quarter the second worst in the region after the UK. Spain's ailing economy will receive around 140 billion euros or $166 billion out of the EU's 750-billion-euro coronavirus recovery package. This includes 43 billion Euros in grants in the next two years alone — this is equivalent to about 8% of Spain’s annual expenditure. Spain needs concrete investment projects to rescue the economy coming in the way is a prolonged political paralysis. The country has not been able to approve a full-year budget since 2016, so suddenly absorbing all that extra cash is a challenge. There are concerns over how to set up the machinery to take on this amount of liquidity and this by the way is cash that the Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez fought hard for at an EU summit in July. He has now put his office in charge and the economy minister is finalising a plan to be presented to Brussels by October 15.There are many countries that would love to be in Spain’s position. In April when the pandemic began. Over 90 countries requested the international monetary fund for emergency funds and then, you have war-torn countries like Afghanistan and Yemen that have been combating covid-19 amid the raging conflicts. Spain's crisis sounds like a luxury. (With inputs from agencies)

Covid effect: Spain needs concrete investment projects to rescue the economy

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The unbelievable stupidity of ending global Covid aid

US sending $266.5 million in aid to Afghanistan for Covid response

Biden scores legislative win, Covid relief plan to move to Senate next

Biden orders expanded aid to address growing hunger crisis

Covid effect: Spain needs concrete investment projects to rescue the economy