Washington [US], December 21 (ANI): 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.

The US freeze of Afghanistan’s reserves could lead to more deaths in 2022 than were lost in the last 20 years of the war in the country, the letter said. The United Nations Emergency Relief Coordinator, Martin Griffiths, on Monday said that Afghanistan’s economy is in “free fall”.

He was addressing the 17th Extraordinary Session of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) Council of Foreign Ministers in Islamabad.

Since the takeover in mid-August by the Taliban (under UN sanctions over terrorist activities), the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund have suspended financial aid which previously accounted for nearly 75% of Afghanistan’s public expenditure, while the United States froze billions of dollars in assets belonging to the Afghan Central Bank.

Addressing the OIC briefing, Afghanistan’s acting foreign minister Amir Khan Motaqi urged the United States must unfreeze billions of dollars of Afghanistan as the country desperately needs cash. (ANI)

UN welcomes US willingness to find ways to ensure liquidity into Afghan economy

Washington [US], December 21 (ANI): The United Nations has welcomed the United States‘ willingness to find ways to ensure liquidity into Afghanistan‘s economy.

US State Department spokesman Ned Price said the United States is cooperating with the United Nations to find ways to deliver aid in Afghanistan and ensure liquidity in the country’s economy. “We welcome the willingness of the US to find ways to ensure liquidity in Afghanistan‘s economy,” UN spokesperson Farhan Haq told Sputnik on Monday.

The United States believes that Afghanistan is experiencing an acute humanitarian crisis that was preexisting before the US withdrawal in August and has become worse since then, Price said.

During a press briefing, Price said: “We are working with various UN bodies, including the UNDP to find creative ways that we can infuse not only humanitarian aid but also liquidity into the Afghan economy. “

The United Nations Emergency Relief Coordinator, Martin Griffiths, on Monday said that Afghanistan‘s economy is in “free fall”.

He was addressing the 17th Extraordinary Session of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) Council of Foreign Ministers in Islamabad.

Since the takeover in mid-August by the Taliban (under UN sanctions over terrorist activities), the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund have suspended financial aid which previously accounted for nearly 75% of Afghanistan‘s public expenditure, while the United States froze billions of dollars in assets belonging to the Afghan Central Bank.

Addressing the OIC briefing, Afghanistan‘s acting foreign minister Amir Khan Motaqi urged the United States must unfreeze billions of dollars of Afghanistan as the country desperately needs cash. (ANI)

US working with UN bodies to allocate humanitarian aid to Afghanistan: State Dept

Washington [US], December 21 (ANI): The United States said it is working with UN bodies to find ways to allocate humanitarian aid to Afghanistan and infuse its economy with liquidity to alleviate the crisis in the country.

During a press briefing, State Department spokesperson Ned Price said: “We are working with various UN bodies, including the UNDP to find creative ways that we can infuse not only humanitarian aid but also liquidity into the Afghan economy. “

The United States believes that Afghanistan is experiencing an acute humanitarian crisis that was preexisting before the US withdrawal in August and has become worse since then, Sputnik reported citing Price.

The United Nations Emergency Relief Coordinator, Martin Griffiths, on Monday said that Afghanistan‘s economy is in “free fall”.

He was addressing the 17th Extraordinary Session of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) Council of Foreign Ministers in Islamabad.

Since the takeover in mid-August by the Taliban (under UN sanctions over terrorist activities), the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund have suspended financial aid which previously accounted for nearly 75% of Afghanistan‘s public expenditure, while the United States froze billions of dollars in assets belonging to the Afghan Central Bank.

Addressing the OIC briefing, Afghanistan‘s acting foreign minister Amir Khan Motaqi urged the United States must unfreeze billions of dollars of Afghanistan as the country desperately needs cash. (ANI)