AFGHANISTAN/UNITED STATES: While Afghanistan continues to experience a serious humanitarian crisis, the U.S. continues to withhold “direct” help to the Taliban, who are now seeking the restoration of all frozen funds as well as extra funding.
According to Taliban spokesman Suhail Shaheen, speaking to Fox News Digital, “There is no rational justification for freezing that reserve and the private banks, the money of the people of Afghanistan.” The people’s property has been frozen by them.
“Because the Afghanistan Bank is unable to function without [the restoration of this property and this money], we want it to be unfrozen.” Additionally, it is necessary for our import, export, and other economic activities as well as the Afghan people’s normal way of life,” he added.
After the United States completely withdrew its military personnel from Afghanistan in August 2021, the Taliban seized power. As a response, the United States and other countries froze $7 billion in assets that belonged to the now-defunct government, denying the Taliban access to funds that they would have needed to start their new government.
However, Ambassador Thomas-Greenfield stated that the Taliban “made the distribution of humanitarian assistance more difficult” in response to worries that the funds were not getting to those in need.
In her U.N. address, she stated “They continue to interfere with the delivery of critical assistance that the Afghan people desperately need,” She continued to emphasise the need to ensure the Taliban does not have “unconditional access to billions in assets” since the Afghanistan Central Bank “cannot currently conduct responsible monetary policy.”
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