Alarmed by the critical humanitarian situation in Afghanistan, independent UN human rights experts called, on Monday, for the United States to end its freeze on Afghanistan’s foreign assets, Trend reports citing UN. The Da Afghanistan Bank has more than $7 billion in blocked reserves that could be used to provide desperately-needed humanitarian relief to tens of millions in the country, said the group of experts.
Gravely concerned about the humanitarian crisis in the country, the experts added that it “puts at serious risk the lives of more than half of the country’s population”. Echoing the words of the UN Secretary-General, who recently called it an ‘epic humanitarian crisis on the verge of a development catastrophe’, the experts urged States to re-assess any adopted unilateral measure and lift all obstacles in providing the necessary financial and humanitarian aid.
According to international assessments, Afghanistan has now the highest number of people in emergency food insecurity in the world, with more than 23 million in need of assistance, and approximately 95 per cent of the population having insufficient food consumption. Of particular concern is the vulnerability of more than four million internally displaced, including people belonging to minorities and over 3.5 million seeking refuge in neighbouring countries.
The UN experts called on the US to seriously consider the growing humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan and re-assess its decision to block the Da Afghanistan Bank’s foreign assets, recalling that States have an obligation under international human rights law to guarantee that activity under their jurisdiction does not result in human rights violations.
They concluded by calling US authorities to take all appropriate action to reverse the unilateral measure and contribute to international efforts in addressing the growing humanitarian crisis in the country.