• Live
    • Audio Only
  • google plus
  • facebook
  • twitter
News > U.S.

US Sanctions Undermine Humanitarian Aid Supply to Afghanistan

  • An ICRC-supported hospital in Afghanistan, 2022.

    An ICRC-supported hospital in Afghanistan, 2022. | Photo: Twitter/ @AfghanistanTime

Published 29 November 2022
Opinion

Aid agencies warned that over 22 Afghans are currently facing acute food insecurity.

The U.S.-initiated sanctions imposed on the Taliban-run establishment in Afghanistan has undermined vital humanitarian aid supply to the war-torn country, Martin Schüepp, director of operations of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) said.

RELATED:

UNAMA Concerned About New Restrictions on Women in Afghanistan

"For the moment we are continuing to operate. I think one of the important challenges is indeed the sanctions that have been imposed. For example, the banking sector and so that makes our operations more difficult for us," Schüepp said.

Following the withdrawal of the U.S.-led forces from the Asian country, Afghanistan's assets worth more than US$9 billion were frozen by the United States as part of its sanctions on the new rulers of the war-torn country.

"It is key that all sanctions have humanitarian exemptions, which allows humanitarian organizations such as the ICRC to operate and to be able to reach people in need," Schüepp said.

The ICRC official made the remarks amid increasing poverty and high rate of unemployment in war-torn Afghanistan as more and more Afghans leave their homeland to find jobs abroad and send remittances for their families facing chilly winter and economic hardship at home.

Schüepp described the humanitarian situation as "very dire" in the country, saying more than half of the country's population is in need of humanitarian aid. He also said that poverty had led to an increase in the cases of pneumonia and malnutrition among children.

Earlier, aid agencies warned that more than 22 million out of the 35 million population of Afghanistan are facing acute food insecurity, warning the country will face catastrophe if necessary assistance is not sent ahead of winter.

Comment
0
Comments
Post with no comments.