Washington must listen to UN and release Afghan funds: Taliban

Published January 15, 2022
An Afghan man carries dried tree branches to be used as firewood along a street in Kabul on Friday. — AFP
An Afghan man carries dried tree branches to be used as firewood along a street in Kabul on Friday. — AFP

KABUL: The Taliban on Friday urged Washington to heed a call by the United Nations chief to unlock Afghan funds frozen in the United States, as a humanitarian crisis deepens.

US authorities froze billions of dollars in Afghan assets after the Taliban seized power in August following the withdrawal of foreign forces. On Thursday, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called on Washington to take the lead and prevent “the nightmare unfolding in Afghanistan” by releasing capital.

“The United States must respond positively to the international voice and release Afghan capital,” the Taliban government’s spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said on Twitter.

Washington has taken control of nearly $9.5 billion in assets belonging to the Afghan central bank.

The International Monetary Fund and World Bank have suspended activities in Afghanistan, withholding aid as well as $340 million in new reserves issued by the IMF in August.

Many Western nations have also largely suspended their assistance to Afghanistan, one of the world’s poorest countries. Aid agencies and the UN have estimated that more than half of the nation’s 38 million population is expected to face hunger this winter.

Published in Dawn, January 15th, 2022

Opinion

Editorial

Digital gaps
Updated 17 Jul, 2025

Digital gaps

Digital technology affords Pakistan a unique opportunity to transform itself into a dynamic digital economy.
A grave matter
17 Jul, 2025

A grave matter

IT is a weighty issue, and one which many would not touch with a barge pole, primarily out of concern for...
Vaccine paradox
17 Jul, 2025

Vaccine paradox

PAKISTAN has recorded its highest-ever coverage of the DTP vaccine — protecting children against diphtheria,...
The next deluge
Updated 16 Jul, 2025

The next deluge

Pakistan, and others vulnerable to climatic extremes, must heed the warning before the next deluge arrives — because it surely will.
FC revamp
16 Jul, 2025

FC revamp

WHAT’S in a name? The civilian paramilitary force hitherto known as the Frontier Constabulary will continue to...
Simplified tax forms
16 Jul, 2025

Simplified tax forms

THE rollout of a new interactive tax return form should ease filing by simplifying the procedure, addressing a...