US Allows Transfer of Humanitarian Aid to Afghanistan Despite Sanctions

The US Treasury Department clarified on Wednesday that the transfer of funds to Afghanistan for humanitarian purposes, including to state-run institutions, would not be considered a violation of sanctions on the Taliban, which has long been blacklisted by the US as a terrorist organization. According to the UN, more than half the country’s population suffers from extreme hunger and the economy and public services are on the brink of collapse. When the Taliban seized power in the country in August 2021, billions of dollars in Afghan central bank reserves and international aid money were frozen to prevent it from falling into their hands. The Treasury Department will permit Americans to undertake certain financial transactions for humanitarian purposes despite involvement by the Taliban or the Haqqani Network, another blacklisted organization. Aid organizations can also ship cash to the country for humanitarian operations and make direct payments to health care workers and teachers in public hospitals and schools.