US looking at ways to provide money to Afghan people amid economic crisis: Blinken

Washington [US], December 22 : As the economic situation in Afghanistan deteriorates, United States Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Tuesday (local time) said that Washington is looking intensely at ways to put more liquidity into the Afghan economy so as to provide money to the people of the cash-strapped nation.
"We are looking intensely at ways to put more liquidity into the Afghan economy to get more money into people's pockets. And doing that, with international institutions, with other countries and partners, trying to put in place the right mechanisms to do that in a way that doesn't directly benefit the Taliban but does go directly to the people," Blinken said during a press briefing.
He further stated that Afghanistan is facing a difficult humanitarian situation.
"We're very conscious of the fact that there is an incredibly difficult humanitarian situation right now, all it could get worse as winter sets in, and so that's an area of intense focus for us, working closely with allies and partners," Blinken said.
US Secretary of State said, "I am focused right now on the situation in Afghanistan, including the humanitarian situation, we continue to be the largest single providing humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan."
Blinken said that the US has issued multiple general licenses to make sure that other countries' institutions can feel free to move forward with their assistance to Afghanistan.
"We've issued multiple general licenses to make sure that other countries' institutions can feel free to move forward with their assistance and not be concerned about the application implementation of sanctions against them. We've participated in the release of about $280 million recently in the Afghanistan Reconstruction Trust Fund," he said.
"We're also focused on ensuring that the Taliban make good on the expectations of the international community when it comes to continuing to allow people who wish to leave Afghanistan to do so when it comes to upholding the rights of all Afghan citizens but notable women and girls and minorities, when it comes to not engaging in reprisals when it comes to making good on their commitments to counterterrorism coming from Afghanistan, so all of those things, are front and centre on our agenda. We are working with them virtually every day and with international partners around the world," he 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 crises. A combination of a suspension of foreign aid, the freezing of Afghan government assets, and international sanctions on the Taliban, have plunged a country, already suffering from high poverty levels, into a full-blown economic crisis.
The international community, from governments to non-governmental organizations, has been providing various assistance to the Afghan people.