On Wednesday, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres reminded the Security Council that Afghanistan is “hanging by a thread,” and that countries must sanction all transactions necessary to carry out humanitarian operations in the Taliban-ruled country.
He also called for the suspension of any rules or conditions restricting “lifesaving” aid operations, citing the fact that millions of people in the country are starving, education and social services are on the verge of collapse and the UN and aid organisations are limited in their ability to reach people in need due to a lack of liquidity.
“There is solid evidence of an escalating climate of intimidation and a decline in human rights respect. This shows that the concentration of government power is leading to fear-based population control “Deborah Lyons, the United Nations special envoy for Afghanistan, told the security council.
In December, contributors to the Afghan Reconstruction Trust Fund, which is administered by the World Bank, agreed to transfer $280 million to the World Food Program and the United Nations Children’s Fund, UNICEF, to boost nutrition and health in Afghanistan. The remaining $1.2 billion in the fund, according to Guterres, “must be released promptly to help Afghanistan’s people to survive the winter.”
“We need to give financial institutions and commercial partners legal assurance that they can work with humanitarian operators without fear of violating sanctions,” Guterres said, noting that the UN Security Council’s 15 members approved a humanitarian exemption to UN sanctions related to Afghanistan last month.
Since the Taliban took power in August, $9.5 billion in Afghan central bank funds have been frozen abroad, and international development assistance has dried up. Donors hope to use the funds to exert pressure on the Taliban on matters such as human rights.
Linda Thomas-Greenfield, the United States’ ambassador to the United Nations, told the council that Washington has taken steps to guarantee that US sanctions do not obstruct humanitarian aid, and that it is “exploring various alternatives to alleviate the financial bottleneck.”
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