Taliban demands release of frozen funds after deadly earthquake

Afghan women carry water containers through the wreckage of damaged homes after the recent earthquake in War Kali village in Barmal district of Paktika Province, Afghanistan, June 25, 2022. Reuters/Ali Khra reuters_tickers This content was published on June 25, 2022 – 18:00 June 25, 2022 – 18:00

Written by Charlotte Greenfield

KABUL (Reuters) – The Afghan Taliban government on Saturday called on international governments to undo sanctions and unfreeze the central bank’s assets in the wake of the earthquake that killed more than 1,000 people and displaced thousands.

The 6.1-magnitude earthquake hit the east of the country early on Wednesday, destroying or damaging 10,000 homes and injuring nearly 2,000 people, straining the country’s fragile health system and posing a major test for the ruling Taliban. [L1N2YC094]

“The Islamic Emirate demands the world to give Afghans their basic right, which is their right to life, by lifting sanctions, unfreezing our assets and providing assistance,” said Foreign Ministry spokesman Abdul Qahar Balkhi. Reuters in an interview.

While humanitarian aid continues to flow into Afghanistan, funds for long-term development stalled when the Taliban took control of the country in August 2021 with the withdrawal of foreign forces.

The Islamist militant group’s administration is not officially recognized by international governments.

The Afghan central bank’s reserves of billions of dollars remain frozen abroad and sanctions are crippling the banking sector as the West pushes for concessions on human rights.

Western governments are particularly concerned with the rights of women and girls to work and study under the Taliban. In March, the group halted the opening of girls’ secondary schools.

When asked about the issue, Balkhi said the right of Afghans to the life-saving funds should be a top priority, adding that the international community treats human rights concerns differently depending on the country involved.

“Is this rule universal? Because the United States just passed an anti-abortion law,” Balkhi said, referring to Friday’s overturn by the Supreme Court of the landmark Roe v. Wade ruling that recognized a woman’s right to abortion.

“16 countries in the world have prohibited religious minorities, especially Muslims… Do they also face penalties because they violate rights?” he asked.

White House spokeswoman Karen Jean-Pierre said Saturday that the US government is working on “complex questions about using this (central bank frozen) money to make sure it benefits the Afghan people, not the Taliban.”

She added that the US Agency for International Development provides assistance to humanitarian organizations.

(Reporting by Charlotte Greenfield; Additional reporting by Andrea Shalal; Editing by Helen Popper and Mike Harrison)

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