Taliban and US meet over Afghanistan earthquake relief program (video)

By Associated Press June 29, 2022

Aid workers are struggling to reach the quake-hit region of Afghanistan, which has killed at least 1,150 people, according to Taliban figures.

Afghanistan’s finance and central bank officials from the Taliban-led government left for Qatar on Wednesday to meet with a US Treasury official, after last week’s deadly earthquake underscored how much critical relief efforts have faltered under the weight of the country’s mounting economic woes.

Aftershock in Afghanistan as death toll from earthquake rises to 1150

A devastating earthquake in southeastern Afghanistan last week killed about 770 people, according to United Nations figures, although the Taliban put the death toll at nearly 1,150 and injured thousands. The United Nations says 155 children were among the dead, in what was the deadliest earthquake to hit the impoverished country in two decades.

The quake struck a remote, deeply impoverished region of small towns and villages nestled among the rugged mountains near the Pakistani border, collapsing houses built of stone and brick and in some cases killing entire families. Nearly 3,000 homes were destroyed or severely damaged in Paktika and Khost provinces.

Taliban Foreign Ministry spokesman Hafiz Zia Ahmed confirmed the news of a meeting between Taliban government officials and US officials, and said that the Afghan delegation would be headed by Foreign Minister Maulvi Amir Khan Muttaki. He said that officials will meet in Doha, Qatar, with the US Special Representative for Afghanistan and officials from the US Treasury to discuss the economic and banking sectors in Afghanistan.

The Washington Post first reported on Tuesday that top Biden administration officials are working with the Taliban leadership on a mechanism to allow the Afghan government to use central bank reserves to deal with the country’s severe hunger and poverty crises while putting in place safeguards to ensure that funds are not misused.

The Biden administration froze about $9 billion in Afghan foreign central reserves after the Taliban seized power last August, leading to a chaotic and deadly withdrawal of US and NATO forces, as well as more than 100,000 Afghans and others.

The international sanctions that followed have choked bank transfers for months inside the country, even for many of the aid groups still operating there. Since then, Afghans have struggled to withdraw money from local banks and tens of thousands of public sector employees continue to fall behind on their salaries as the Taliban leadership seeks ways to collect taxes and other fees to keep the government running.

The international sanctions that followed have choked bank transfers for months inside the country, even for many of the aid groups still operating there. Since then, Afghans have struggled to withdraw money from local banks and tens of thousands of public sector employees continue to fall behind on their salaries as the Taliban leadership seeks ways to collect taxes and other fees to keep the government running.

Even before the Taliban seized power last year, the Afghan economy was heavily dependent on foreign aid. The United Nations and a group of overwhelmed aid agencies in the country have tried to keep Afghanistan on the brink of collapse, including the International Committee of the Red Cross, which pays health care workers and operating costs for more than 30 hospitals worldwide. Country.

Exhausted aid agencies said the quake underlined the need for the international community to rethink its financial cut to Afghanistan since the Taliban militants took over the country. That policy, which halted billions in development aid and froze vital foreign reserves, helped push the economy into collapse and plunge Afghanistan deeper into humanitarian crises and near-famine.

Additional coverage by The Associated Press.

What Are The Main Benefits Of Comparing Car Insurance Quotes Online

LOS ANGELES, CA / ACCESSWIRE / June 24, 2020, / Compare-autoinsurance.Org has launched a new blog post that presents the main benefits of comparing multiple car insurance quotes. For more info and free online quotes, please visit https://compare-autoinsurance.Org/the-advantages-of-comparing-prices-with-car-insurance-quotes-online/ The modern society has numerous technological advantages. One important advantage is the speed at which information is sent and received. With the help of the internet, the shopping habits of many persons have drastically changed. The car insurance industry hasn't remained untouched by these changes. On the internet, drivers can compare insurance prices and find out which sellers have the best offers. View photos The advantages of comparing online car insurance quotes are the following: Online quotes can be obtained from anywhere and at any time. Unlike physical insurance agencies, websites don't have a specific schedule and they are available at any time. Drivers that have busy working schedules, can compare quotes from anywhere and at any time, even at midnight. Multiple choices. Almost all insurance providers, no matter if they are well-known brands or just local insurers, have an online presence. Online quotes will allow policyholders the chance to discover multiple insurance companies and check their prices. Drivers are no longer required to get quotes from just a few known insurance companies. Also, local and regional insurers can provide lower insurance rates for the same services. Accurate insurance estimates. Online quotes can only be accurate if the customers provide accurate and real info about their car models and driving history. Lying about past driving incidents can make the price estimates to be lower, but when dealing with an insurance company lying to them is useless. Usually, insurance companies will do research about a potential customer before granting him coverage. Online quotes can be sorted easily. Although drivers are recommended to not choose a policy just based on its price, drivers can easily sort quotes by insurance price. Using brokerage websites will allow drivers to get quotes from multiple insurers, thus making the comparison faster and easier. For additional info, money-saving tips, and free car insurance quotes, visit https://compare-autoinsurance.Org/ Compare-autoinsurance.Org is an online provider of life, home, health, and auto insurance quotes. This website is unique because it does not simply stick to one kind of insurance provider, but brings the clients the best deals from many different online insurance carriers. In this way, clients have access to offers from multiple carriers all in one place: this website. On this site, customers have access to quotes for insurance plans from various agencies, such as local or nationwide agencies, brand names insurance companies, etc. "Online quotes can easily help drivers obtain better car insurance deals. All they have to do is to complete an online form with accurate and real info, then compare prices", said Russell Rabichev, Marketing Director of Internet Marketing Company. CONTACT: Company Name: Internet Marketing CompanyPerson for contact Name: Gurgu CPhone Number: (818) 359-3898Email: [email protected]: https://compare-autoinsurance.Org/ SOURCE: Compare-autoinsurance.Org View source version on accesswire.Com:https://www.Accesswire.Com/595055/What-Are-The-Main-Benefits-Of-Comparing-Car-Insurance-Quotes-Online View photos