UN urges states, other actors to find ways to support Afghan people
Feb 15, 2022
Kabul [Afghanistan], February 15 : The UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) on Tuesday urged all states and actors to find ways to support the Afghan people during the latest crises.
This comes after US President Joe Biden last week signed an executive order to free 7 billion US dollars out of more than 9 billion frozen Afghan assets, splitting the money between humanitarian aid for Afghanistan and a fund for 9/11 victims.
"UNAMA has consistently urged all states and actors to find ways to support the Afghan people during the latest crises. Some very real progress has been made with concrete and meaningful assistance. We are working to help secure further support for the people of Afghanistan," the UNAMA tweeted.
The UN mission in a subsequent tweet said it continues its longstanding call for ways to be found for the country's reserves to be made available to support the Afghan people at the earliest time. "We want to see as much money, Afghan money, as possible back in the Afghan economy and with the Afghan people."
The UN mission also said they will do all they can in discussions with various interlocutors to help the Afghan people build economic stability and a society where authorities respect their human rights.
This comes as a combination of a suspension of foreign aid, the freezing of Afghan government assets, and international sanctions on the Taliban have plunged the country, already suffering from high poverty levels, into a full-blown economic crisis.
A Washington based scholar has slammed the Biden administration's decision to divert the frozen Afghan assets for 9/11 victims.
Writing for The Washington Examiner, Michael Rubin said victims of al Qaeda terrorism deserve compensation, but the Afghan reserves belong to the Afghans who fought with the U.S. and against al Qaeda and the Taliban.
"Diverting USD 3.5 billion for 9/11 victims is theft. Certainly, the victims of al Qaeda terrorism deserve compensation, but the Afghan reserves belong to the Afghans who fought with the U.S. and against al Qaeda and the Taliban. Biden's willingness to paint all Afghans as responsible for 9/11 is factually wrong if not racist," said Rubin, who is a resident scholar at the American Enterprise Institute (AEI).
