$40m unannounced aid package reaches Kabul

KABUL (Pajhwok): Since last month, the arrival of humanitarian cash aid in Kabul has not been reported, but a source in central bank confirmed the receipt of a package of $40 million assistance on Wednesday.

After the regime change, the US imposed sanctions on the interim government and froze Afghanistan’s over $9 billion reserves.

The Biden administration’s move triggered a grave economic crisis in the country but later the international community started lending humanitarian support to Afghanistan.

On December 1, 2021, DAB announced the arrival of $16 million in humanitarian cash aid in Kabul and said the money had been handed over to a private bank. It was called the start of periodical arrivals of humanitarian cash aid in the country.

According to the central bank, Afghanistan has received nearly $2 billion ($1990.4 million) in humanitarian assistance.

Based on reports, cash aid packages reached Kabul once a week, sometimes twice a week, or even once in a fortnight. They are deposited in a private bank.

However, this aid was once delayed for 27 days, then for 26 days, two times for 25 days, once 23 days and once for 20 days.

The United Nations Assistance Mission for Afghanistan (UNAMA) said the aid poured into Afghanistan for use by institutions under it.

DAB reported the arrival of the latest $40 cash aid on March 14 in Kabul. The bank has not yet announced the arrival of another aid package.

Last week, UNAMA last asked its employees in Afghanistan not to come to come to work until next notice after the Islamic Emirate banned female Afghan staff of the UN.

But a credible source in the central bank, speaking on the condition of anonymity, told Pajhwok a package of $40 million assistance had reached Kabul on April 10 and was handed over to a private bank.

With the delivery of the fresh package, the source said, the aid given to Afghanistan had reached $2.34 billion.

Every time, the central bank has announced the arrival of cash aid. However, it did not report the delivery on April 10.

The source said nothing about the reason for not announcing the receipt of aid this time.

Pajhwok contacted UNAMA for comments on the latest cash aid, but it has not responded yet.

Secretary-General António Guterres has warned the ban on female UN staff would further weaken the delivery of life-saving assistance.

The decision would harm the Afghan people, millions of whom were in need of humanitarian assistance, he feared.

The EU has also slammed the ban on female Afghan workers of the UN as a “violation of international laws”.

The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) has sought $4.6 billion in humanitarian aid for the current year.

However, it has received only five percent of the aid request. OCHA has asked the international community not to leave the Afghans alone in this difficult situation.

aw/sa/mud

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