Hundreds of Afghans take to streets in Kabul demanding to unfreeze Afghanistan's central bank reserves
Dec 21, 2021
Kabul [Afghanistan] December 22 : Hundreds of people on Tuesday took to the streets in Kabul demanding to unfreeze Afghanistan's central bank reserves, local media reported.
Over $9 billion in Afghan assets was frozen in foreign banks, mainly in the US, following the collapse of the Afghan former government.
Afghanistan is facing severe economic and financial problems, and the hold on its assets--and sanctions on the Islamic Emirate--have contributed to the problems, Tolo News reported.
The protesters chanting "unfreeze our money" called on the international community to support Afghanistan at this critical time.
Holding banners reading, "let us eat" and "give us our money," the protesters said that poverty and hunger have reached a high level and that the freeze on the money will help them with economic challenges, said the Afghan media.
"Such economic pressures on Afghanistan are against international principles. Our people are struggling with economic problems here," Tolo News quoted a protester as saying.
"Afghanistan's frozen money should be freed soon. The international community says that it is altruism, but this is not how to promote others' welfare," another protester said.
The protesters said the money belongs to the people of Afghanistan and the US should release it.
"This money belongs to the people and should be freed," a protester said.
"The freeze of this money has created numerous economic challenges. It should be released," another protester said.
Over USD 9 billion in Afghan assets was frozen in foreign banks, mainly in the US, following the collapse of the Afghan former government, Tolo News reported.
US lawmakers have urged the Biden administration to unfreeze Afghanistan's central bank reserves in the amount of $9.4 billion.
In a letter to US President Joe Biden and Treasury Department, Democratic US House members said that they stand with American allies and humanitarian experts in urging the United States to avoid harsh economic measures that will directly harm Afghan families and children, Sputnik reported.
"[W]e stand with American allies and humanitarian experts in urging the United States to avoid harsh economic measures that will directly harm Afghan families and children," the lawmakers said in the letter on Monday. "This means conscientiously but urgently modifying current US policy regarding the freeze of Afghanistan's foreign reserves and ongoing sanctions."
The lawmakers said that Afghanistan's dwindling economy and humanitarian collapse threatens to trigger a new refugee crisis throughout the region. The United States' decision to freeze Afghanistan's central bank reserves is contributing to high inflation and the closing of commercial banks and vital private businesses, the lawmakers added.
The Taliban took over control of Kabul on August 15 and following this the country has been battered by deepening economic, humanitarian and security crisis.
