United Nations:
The UN Security Council on Wednesday unanimously passed a US-proposed resolution to help humanitarian aid reach desperate Afghans, while keeping money out of the hands of the Taliban.
The resolution – a UN’s first move after months of bickering over how to avert a humanitarian disaster during Afghanistan’s economic collapse – was welcomed by Islamists as a “good step.”
Since the Taliban returned to power in August, billions of dollars in aid and assets have been frozen by the West in what the UN has described as an “unprecedented fiscal shock” to the aid-dependent Afghan economy.
Observers have been warning for months of the choice between famine or migration amid a combined food, fuel and money crisis during the bitter winter.
The Security Council resolution allows aid to flow into the country for a year without violating international sanctions aimed at isolating the Taliban, whose regime is not recognized by the international community.
“We appreciate it (as) it can help Afghanistan’s economic situation,” Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said, adding that he hoped the international community would also lift the crippling economic and banking sanctions imposed on entities linked to have with the group, would “speed up”.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said that “UN sanctions are an important tool to respond to threats and human rights violations, but we must ensure that these sanctions do not hinder the delivery of urgently needed aid.”
The United States also announced on Wednesday additional steps to relax sanctions against the Taliban to allow aid, and update guidelines to make it clear that exports of goods and money transfers are allowed as long as they do not go to individuals targeted by US sanctions.
‘Critical’ food aid
In Afghanistan, aid workers may be involved in financial transactions with government ministries led by sanctioned individuals. The UN resolution ensures that aid workers do not violate sanctions.
The text also includes monitoring of aid destination, as well as a semi-annual UN report on the functioning of aid.
It is possible to revoke the exemption if evidence shows that it is being abused, a diplomat told AFP earlier this week on condition of anonymity.
UN Undersecretary for Humanitarian Affairs Martin Griffiths welcomed the resolution and said it would enable more than 160 humanitarian organizations “providing essential food and health assistance in Afghanistan … to carry out the work we have planned.” .”
After the Taliban returned to power, the US froze nearly $9.5 billion from the Afghan central bank and the World Bank also suspended aid to Kabul.
The currency has collapsed and with no money to pay officials, families have resorted to selling furniture and jewelry to make ends meet.
With the country also ravaged by drought and the Covid-19 pandemic, the United Nations warned early this month that the fiscal shock could shrink the economy by 20 percent within a year.
International aid accounted for 40 percent of Afghanistan’s GDP and financed 80 percent of the budget.
But Mujahid said the country was not facing such a crisis.
“Aid has come from many countries and the government has huge stocks of food that can be used,” said Mujahid.
“So we don’t see a threat of a humanitarian crisis, although people need help.”
On Wednesday, Russia called on the West to release Afghan assets.
The World Bank announced on December 10 that it would provide $280 million in humanitarian aid to UNICEF and the World Food Program by the end of December, which will be distributed in Afghanistan.
(This story was not edited by DailyExpertNews staff and was generated automatically from a syndicated feed.)