Afghanistan’s Taliban administration on Saturday called on international governments to roll back sanctions and lift a freeze on central bank assets following the earthquake that killed more than 1,000 people and left thousands homeless.
The 6.1-magnitude quake that struck the east of the country on Wednesday destroyed or damaged 10,000 homes and injured about 2,000 people, straining the country’s fragile health system and posing a major test for the ruling Taliban.
“The Islamic Emirate is asking the world to give the Afghans their most basic right, which is their right to life and that is through lifting the sanctions and unfreezing our assets and also giving assistance,” Abdul Qahar Balkhi, foreign affairs ministry spokesperson, told Reuters in an interview.
While humanitarian aid continues to flow to Afghanistan, funds needed for longer-term development were halted when the Taliban seized control of the country in August 2021 as foreign forces withdrew.
Billions of US dollars in Afghanistan’s central bank reserves remain frozen overseas and sanctions hamper the banking sector as the West pushes for concessions on human rights.
Western governments are particularly concerned about the rights of women and girls to work and study under Taliban rule. In March, the group stopped high schools for girls from opening.
Asked about the issue, Balkhi said Afghans’ right to life-saving funds should be the priority, adding that the international community handled concerns over human rights differently depending on the country involved.
Afghans look at destruction caused by an earthquake in the province of Paktika, eastern Afghanistan on June 22, 2022. The earthquake has killed at least 1,000 people and injuring 1,500. Photo: VCG
