On Thursday, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said his country would provide nearly $150 million in aid for areas in Syria and Iraq that were liberated from the Islamic State extremist group.
He spoke at a ministerial conference hosted by Saudi Arabia on combating the group, which no longer controls any territory — but whose affiliates still carry out attacks across Africa, Asia, and the Middle East.
The Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS includes over 80 countries and continues to coordinate action against the extremist group, which at its height controlled large parts of Syria and Iraq.
Blinken noted that the US pledge is part of new funding amounting to more than $600 million.
“Poor security and humanitarian conditions. Lack of economic opportunity. These are the fuel for the kind of desperation on which ISIS feeds and recruits,” he said, using a common acronym for the extremist group. “So we have to stay committed to our stabilization goals.”
Blinken co-hosted the conference as part of a two-day visit to the kingdom in which he met with senior Saudi officials, including the country's de facto leader, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
The Secretary of State also attended a meeting of Gulf foreign ministers.
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