HRW asks UN, World Bank to address Afghan crisis

KABUL: The Human Rights Watch expressed its deepest concern on the economic meltdown of Afghanistan, urging the UN and international financial institutions to urgently ease the imposed-sanctions that have been affecting the country’s economic.

“Afghanistan’s economy and social services are collapsing, with Afghans throughout the country already suffering acute malnutrition,” said John Sifton, Asia advocacy director at Human Rights Watch. “Humanitarian aid is critical, but given the crisis, governments, the UN, and international financial institutions need to urgently adjust existing restrictions and sanctions affecting the country’s economy and banking sector.”

The HRW said in a statement that world governments, the UN, the World Bank, and the Taliban should work to reach an agreement to allow the Afghan Central Bank access to the international banking system.

The Islamic Emirate called on the humanitarian organization to prevent the humanitarian catastrophe in Afghanistan. “The UN and international community should prioritize and take actions to avert a major humanitarian crisis,” said Inamullah Samangani, deputy spokesman for the Islamic Emirate.

The statement said If an agreement involving the Central Bank is not possible, governments, the UN, and the World Bank should negotiate a short-term agreement with the Taliban to designate a private bank or other entity, independent of the Central Bank, to process large-scale humanitarian transactions to be monitored by officials with the World Bank, UN, or a designated third-party auditing entity.

“The problems created for Afghanistan are due to the political interactions in the US, especially in the US congress. A political path can resolve these problems,” said Toriq Farhadi, an international relations analyst. With winter coming, millions of Afghans are struggling with severe economic challenges.