On Saturday, senior Taliban leaders attended a special meeting organised by the United Nations (UN) on international migrants day. Other attendees included representatives of the International Organisation for Migration and the United Nations Human Rights Committee. During the discussions, Taliban leaders underscored the importance of the international community’s support in bringing an end to the ongoing economic crisis in Afghanistan.
Deputy Foreign Minister Sher Mohammad Abbas Stanikzai said the worsening economic situation in Afghanistan has raised concern about yet another influx of Afghan refugees into neighbouring countries. He thus urged countries like the United States (US) to revoke their decision to freeze billions of dollars in central bank reserves to avoid a migrant crisis. He asserted, “The impact of the frozen funds is on the common people and not Taliban authorities.”
This meeting came a day before Taliban leaders attended a special meeting of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation in Islamabad, which saw the participation of envoys from 57 of the member Islamic nations, along with delegates from the US, China, Russia, the European Union, and the UN. Following the discussions, the conglomerate of international actors vowed to provide aid to the war-torn country and work towards bringing an end to Afghanistan’s economic and political crisis.
The US previously announced that it would permit personal cash remittances to Afghanistan. However, it continues to block the release of $9 billion of Afghanistan’s central bank reserves. The International Monetary Fund has also blocked Afghanistan’s access to previously released $450 million assistance, citing a “lack of clarity” about the country’s governance following the Taliban’s takeover.
According to several estimates by the UN bodies, Afghanistan is currently on the brink of a crisis, with millions of Afghans prospectively facing hunger during the winter. The United Nations’ World Food Programme said that 22.8 million out of the 38 million Afghans currently face acute food shortages. It also reported an increase in the rate of malnutrition in the country.
The situation has been exacerbated by the international community’s scepticism to directly engage with the Taliban due to concerns over the human rights situation in the country. Consequently, since the Taliban’s takeover, a large portion of foreign aid directed to Afghanistan has been obstructed, worsening the economic crisis, which was already deepening due to the rising rate of unemployment, the COVID-19 pandemic, and limited banking activities.