International donors to pledge $16 billion to Afghanistan

International donors will pledge $16 billion in aid for Afghanistan to stabilize the country after NATO troops pull out at the end of 2014, a U.S. official said.

Japanese officials will make the announcement Sunday in Tokyo at an international conference where about 70 countries and organizations will discuss Afghanistan’s economic needs during and after the transition.

The U.S. official said the World Bank has estimated that Afghanistan needs $3.9 billion a year. The $16 billion will be given out over four years, starting this year until 2015, the official said.

The U.S. share will change from year to year, said the official, a member of the party attending the conference with Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. It’s expected to be in the range of $1 billion to $2.3 billion and will come with accountability measures to counter graft.