KABUL – The United States eased its restrictions on key humanitarian aid reaching famine-stricken Afghanistan, and exempted most aid from threatened sanctions in accordance with a UN security council resolution.
Launching the Guardian on Wednesday (12/22/2021), the US Treasury Department followed up on the UN resolution, by expanding the definition of permitted humanitarian assistance to include elements of education, including payment of salaries to teachers.
Washington also permits a wider use of US funds received by aid organizations working in Afghanistan.
The US has tried to use aid as a tool to force the Taliban, who seized power in August, not to suppress women’s rights, including access to education.
But aid groups say US efforts to suppress the Taliban risk starving ordinary Afghans.
Aid agencies have complained for months of ongoing, unconditional US sanctions against Taliban leaders and entities.
That means it is impossible to provide aid to Taliban-administered Afghanistan through normal banking channels.
But the US-backed UN resolution clarifies that aid to alleviate humanitarian needs need not be treated as money destined for the Taliban.
The more rigorous details of the resolution have been the subject of lengthy negotiations in New York.
Partly resolved by agreement that the mechanism would be reviewed after one year, and include strict reporting requirements.
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