Biden administration issues “broad authorisations” to ensure humanitarian relief to Afghanistan

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US to give additional $308m in humanitarian aid to Afghanistan

Dec 23, 2021: The Biden administration has issued “broad authorisations” to ensure that the United Nations, US government agencies and aid groups can provide humanitarian relief to Afghanistan without violating sanctions against the Taliban.

The US Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) on Wednesday issued three licenses, allowing US government officials and international agencies, including the United Nations, to conduct “official business” with the Taliban and the Haqqani Network.

It also authorized NGOs to deal with humanitarian activities with two US blacklisted Afghan groups.

The US move comes at a time when Afghanistan has been facing an economic crisis since the Taliban took over in August. According to the World Food Program, the crisis has left about 23 million people with severe food insecurity. Deputy Secretary of the Treasury Willie Adeyemo said the United States was “committed to helping” Afghans in the face of a growing humanitarian crisis.

“Treasury has provided broad authorizations that ensure NGOs, international organizations, and the US government can continue to provide relief to those in need,” Adeyemo said in a statement.

The country has long been dependent on foreign aid, and most of its foreign assets have been frozen since the Taliban took over. The constant onslaught of COVID-19 with the rapidly expanding Omicron variant has exacerbated the humanitarian crisis.

Earlier on Wednesday, the UN Security Council passed a resolution to facilitate the delivery of humanitarian aid to Afghanistan. The resolution states that “the payment of funds, other financial assets or economic resources, and the provision of the necessary goods and services to ensure the timely delivery of such assistance or to support such activities is permitted.”

Secretary of State Antony Blinken also voiced support for the UN measure and the Treasury’s authorizations.

The international community immediately sought to freeze the Afghan government’s assets after the Taliban takeover in August so that the Taliban would not have access to funds.

Washington froze nearly  9.5 billion in Afghan assets in August. Many aid groups and investors also fled the country after the Taliban’s victory. The turmoil has led to a weakening of funds in Afghanistan.

Last week, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) pledged to establish a humanitarian trust fund to tackle hunger and poverty in Afghanistan.

“Unless action is taken immediately, Afghanistan is heading for chaos,” Pakistan’s Prime Minister Imran Khan said at the time.

“Any government when it can’t pay its salaries for its public servants, hospitals, doctors, nurses, any government is going to collapse but chaos suits no one, it certainly does not suit the United States.”

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