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The United Nations has warned that Afghanistan is in danger of “totally collapsing” and that the international community cannot find a way to maintain the flow of money to Afghanistan despite concerns about the Taliban government.
Almost $ 10 billion in Afghan central bank assets are currently frozen overseas and seen as key leverage over the new administration.
But the UN special envoy for Afghanistan, Deborah Lyons, told the Security Council on Thursday that a way had to be found to get the money into the country “to avoid a total collapse of the economy. and social order, “noting that Afghanistan was facing a storm of crises, including a fall in the currency, a sharp rise in food and fuel prices and a lack of liquidity in private banks. Authorities also do not have the funds to pay salaries, she said.
“The economy needs to be able to breathe a few more months, giving the Taliban a chance to show flexibility and a real willingness to do things differently this time around, especially from a human rights perspective, like and the fight against terrorism, “Lyons told the 15-member of the Council, saying safeguards could be put in place to ensure funds are not misused.
US-led foreign donors provided more than 75% of public spending for the Afghan government which collapsed as the US took of his troops after 20 years in the country.
President Joe Biden’s administration has said it is open to humanitarian aid donations, but said any direct economic lifeline, including the thawing of central bank assets, will depend on Taliban actions, including the safe passage of people to let. The first civilian flight from Kabul – carrying more than 100 passengers – landed in Qatar on Thursday
The International Monetary Fund has also blocked the Taliban from accessing some $ 440 million in new emergency reserves.
“The Taliban are looking for international legitimacy and support. Our message is simple: all legitimacy and all support must be won, ”senior American diplomat Jeffrey DeLaurentis told the Security Council.
Passengers line up at the Doha airport terminal after arriving on a Qatar Airways plane from Kabul – the first international commercial flight since the United States withdrew from Afghanistan [Nooman Ben Amor/Reuters]Russia and China, which offered millions in emergency aid in the country, both pleaded for the release of the frozen assets of Afghanistan.
“These assets belong to Afghanistan and should be used for Afghanistan, not as leverage for threats or restrictions,” said China’s deputy ambassador to the UN Geng Shuang.
Lyon’s warning came shortly after an austere United Nations Development Program (UNDP) report that warned the country could face universal poverty as the economy contracts. The UNDP says the country of 18 million people is already one of the poorest in the world with 72 percent of people living on no more than a dollar a day.
Afghan Ambassador to the UN Ghulam Isaczai, who was appointed by the US-backed government that collapsed as the Taliban advanced, urged the Security Council to “refuse any recognition of any government in Afghanistan unless it is truly inclusive and formed on the basis of the free will of the people. “
“Credible allegations”
The Taliban announced what they called Interim government Tuesday, which included no women and several ministers on UN sanctions lists.
Lyons said there were “credible allegations” that the Taliban retaliated against the security forces despite promises of amnesty.
She also expressed concern over what she described as increasing harassment of Afghan UN personnel, although she said the Taliban had largely respected the premises of the world organization.
Taliban leaders have said they the respect women’s rights in accordance with Islamic law, without further details.
When the group was previously in power between 1996 and 2001, women were not allowed to work and girls were banned from school. Women were to cover up and a male relative was to accompany them when they left the house.
Lyons said the UN was receiving more and more reports of women under such restrictions.
“They have limited girls’ access to education in some areas and dismantled the Ministry of Women’s Affairs across Afghanistan,” she added.
Lyons said there were growing reports that women and girls were once again subject to restrictions imposed by the Taliban when they were in power between 1996 and 2001. [Stringer/EPA]The UN is planning a conference on Monday to announce humanitarian aid contributions, but without the Taliban government, which has not been recognized by any country.
The calls for support come despite widespread concerns over an interim government the Taliban appointed on Tuesday that does not include any women and several ministers on UN watch lists for terrorism allegations.
Malala Yousafzai, who at the age of 15 was shot in the head by the Pakistani branch of the Taliban because of her advocacy for girls’ education, told the Security Council that she heard more and more cases of Afghan girls and teachers being told to stay at home.
The Nobel laureate urged world powers to send a “clear and open message” to the Taliban that any working relationship depends on the education of girls.
“Speaking with one voice for girls’ education can force the Taliban to make real concessions. This is vital not only for Afghan women and girls themselves, but also for long-term security in the region and in our world, ”she said.
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