Kabul [Afghanistan] December 22 (ANI): Hundreds of people on Tuesday took to the streets in Kabul demanding to unfreeze Afghanistan‘s central bank reserves, local media reported. Over $9 billion in Afghan assets was frozen in foreign banks, mainly in the US, following the collapse of the Afghan former government.
Afghanistan is facing severe economic and financial problems, and the hold on its assets–and sanctions on the Islamic Emirate–have contributed to the problems, Tolo News reported. The protesters chanting “unfreeze our money” called on the international community to support Afghanistan at this critical time.
Holding banners reading, “let us eat” and “give us our money,” the protesters said that poverty and hunger have reached a high level and that the freeze on the money will help them with economic challenges, said the Afghan media. “Such economic pressures on Afghanistan are against international principles. Our people are struggling with economic problems here,” Tolo News quoted a protester as saying.
“Afghanistan‘s frozen money should be freed soon. The international community says that it is altruism, but this is not how to promote others’ welfare,” another protester said. The protesters said the money belongs to the people of Afghanistan and the US should release it. “This money belongs to the people and should be freed,” a protester said. “The freeze of this money has created numerous economic challenges. It should be released,” another protester said.
Over USD 9 billion in Afghan assets was frozen in foreign banks, mainly in the US, following the collapse of the Afghan former government, Tolo News reported. US lawmakers have urged the Biden administration to unfreeze Afghanistan‘s central bank reserves in the amount of $9.4 billion.
In a letter to US President Joe Biden and Treasury Department, Democratic US House members said that they stand with American allies and humanitarian experts in urging the United States to avoid harsh economic measures that will directly harm Afghan families and children, Sputnik reported.
“[W]e stand with American allies and humanitarian experts in urging the United States to avoid harsh economic measures that will directly harm Afghan families and children,” the lawmakers said in the letter on Monday. “This means conscientiously but urgently modifying current US policy regarding the freeze of Afghanistan‘s foreign reserves and ongoing sanctions.”
The lawmakers said that Afghanistan‘s dwindling economy and humanitarian collapse threatens to trigger a new refugee crisis throughout the region. The United States’ decision to freeze Afghanistan‘s central bank reserves is contributing to high inflation and the closing of commercial banks and vital private businesses, the lawmakers added.
Vulnerable Afghans urge transparency in distribution of aid
Kabul [Afghanistan], December 21 (ANI): Despite the flow of assistance to Afghanistan over the last months, dozens of poor Afghan families on Monday claimed they have not received aid so far and urged transparency in the distribution of aid assistance.
Several families who are struggling to survive in the capital city of Kabul said that aid agencies must transparently distribute assistance to the vulnerable people in Kabul, reported Tolo News. “In the last three nights I bought two loaves of bread, my children ate them with boiled water. We have not seen aid and caring,” said Farida, a displaced woman living in Kabul.
“We live in the Dehmazang area, third police district of Kabul, we are more deserving than others, we have not received aid yet,” said Habibullah, a resident, reported Tolo News.
US looking at ways to provide money to Afghan people amid economic crisis: Blinken
Washington [US], December 22 (ANI): As the economic situation in Afghanistan deteriorates, United States Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Tuesday (local time) said that Washington is looking intensely at ways to put more liquidity into the Afghan economy so as to provide money to the people of the cash-strapped nation.
“We are looking intensely at ways to put more liquidity into the Afghan economy to get more money into people’s pockets. And doing that, with international institutions, with other countries and partners, trying to put in place the right mechanisms to do that in a way that doesn’t directly benefit the Taliban but does go directly to the people,” Blinken said during a press briefing. He further stated that Afghanistan is facing a difficult humanitarian situation.
“We’re very conscious of the fact that there is an incredibly difficult humanitarian situation right now, all it could get worse as winter sets in, and so that’s an area of intense focus for us, working closely with allies and partners,” Blinken said.
US Secretary of State said, “I am focused right now on the situation in Afghanistan, including the humanitarian situation, we continue to be the largest single providing humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan.”
Blinken said that the US has issued multiple general licenses to make sure that other countries’ institutions can feel free to move forward with their assistance to Afghanistan.
“We’ve issued multiple general licenses to make sure that other countries’ institutions can feel free to move forward with their assistance and not be concerned about the application implementation of sanctions against them. We’ve participated in the release of about $280 million recently in the Afghanistan Reconstruction Trust Fund,” he said.
“We’re also focused on ensuring that the Taliban make good on the expectations of the international community when it comes to continuing to allow people who wish to leave Afghanistan to do so when it comes to upholding the rights of all Afghan citizens but notable women and girls and minorities, when it comes to not engaging in reprisals when it comes to making good on their commitments to counterterrorism coming from Afghanistan, so all of those things, are front and centre on our agenda. We are working with them virtually every day and with international partners around the world,” he added.
The Taliban took over control of Kabul on August 15 and following this the country has been battered by deepening economic, humanitarian and security crises. A combination of a suspension of foreign aid, the freezing of Afghan government assets, and international sanctions on the Taliban, have plunged a country, already suffering from high poverty levels, into a full-blown economic crisis. The international community, from governments to non-governmental organizations, has been providing various assistance to the Afghan people. (ANI)
