Wednesday December 22, 2021
“Alleviate suffering in the country”
UN facilitates humanitarian aid for Afghanistan
After the Taliban came to power, many countries stopped paying aid to Afghanistan. The suffering population is still dependent on support. The UN Security Council now wants to let aids into the country again – as long as they do not get into the hands of the Taliban.
The UN Security Council unanimously passed a resolution submitted by the USA to facilitate humanitarian aid for Afghanistan. The disbursement of funds and credits as well as the provision of goods and “necessary services” are therefore permissible if they help improve the humanitarian situation of the people in Afghanistan. These regulations, which according to the bill do not violate the radical Islamic Taliban sanctions, should apply for one year.
The Taliban ruling in Afghanistan spoke of a “good step” after the decision of the UN Security Council. This is how the “economic situation can be improved,” said its spokesman, Sabihullah Mujahid.
With the resolution of the UN Security Council, the states made concessions on the new situation after the Taliban came to power in Kabul in mid-August. At the same time, an escape movement from the impoverished country in the Hindu Kush should be prevented. China and Russia attached importance to the fact that exceptions to the existing sanctions for aid do not have to be decided in each individual case, but should apply generally.
One year trial period
To ensure that the aid does not get into the hands of the Taliban, but actually reaches the needy Afghan population, the regulations are to be reviewed after twelve months. France and India wanted to ensure that the resolution was only valid for a period of six months, but were unable to get their way.
The UN Vice-Secretary General for Humanitarian Affairs, Martin Griffiths, pointed out that aid was urgently needed in Afghanistan. This will enable the around 160 local aid organizations to alleviate the urgent “needs and suffering in the country”. The Afghan economy is facing major challenges, which are exacerbated by the country’s long dependence on foreign aid, drought and corona.
Via the Covax program co-founded by the World Health Organization, which supplies mostly poorer countries, the US also wants to provide Afghanistan with one million corona vaccine doses – this brings the total number of US donations for Afghanistan to 4.3 million doses.
After the Taliban came to power in Kabul, many countries stopped providing aid to the country. The US froze the Afghan central bank’s balances equivalent to just under eight billion euros. The World Bank also stopped its aid to Afghanistan. On December 10th, the World Bank announced the payment of around $ 280 million in humanitarian aid funds to the UN Children’s Fund and the World Food Program by the end of December.