by Charlotte Greenfield
KABUL, June 25 (Reuters) – Afghanistan’s ruling Taliban administration on Saturday called on the international community to lift sanctions on the country and lift the freeze on central bank assets in the aftermath of the earthquake that killed more of 1,000 people and destroyed thousands of homes on Wednesday.
The 6.1 magnitude earthquake that struck the east of the country damaged or destroyed 10,000 homes and injured around 2,000 people, putting a strain on the country’s already fragile health system.
It constitutes major proof for the Taliban, which seized power last August when the international forces led by the United States withdrew after two decades of war.
“The Islamic Emirate calls on the world to give Afghans their most basic right, which is their right to life, by lifting sanctions, unfreezing our assets and also providing assistance,” Abdul Qahar Balkhi told Reuters. – word of the Minister of Foreign Affairs.
While humanitarian aid continues to flow into Afghanistan, the funds needed for the country’s longer-term development were frozen when the Taliban took power, whose administration the international community does not officially recognize.
Billions of dollars in Afghan central bank reserves remain frozen overseas and sanctions are hampering the banking sector as the West presses for concessions on human rights.
Western governments are particularly concerned about the rights of women and girls to work and study under the Taliban regime. (French version Benjamin Mallet)