Many women Afghan teachers and health workers on Tuesday called on the US and other organisations to unfreeze billions of dollars and give them back to the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan. In a press conference in Kabul, they urged international banks and other organisations to help them in paying their salaries, reported The Khaama Press News Agency.
Afghanistan has been in utter economic chaos after the takeover of the Taliban. Afghan people are still struggling with banking services by queuing hundreds of meters of lines and waiting for even three days to withdraw their money. Soon after the Taliban's siege of Kabul on August 15, foreign assistance was immediately frozen. Besides this, the US stopped USD 9.4 billion in reserves to the country's central bank, The New York Post reported.
Moreover, the International Monetary Fund and World Bank have also stopped loans, and the Financial Action Task Force warned its 39 member nations to block Taliban assets. The Afghan women workers also said that the country desperately needs the financial support of the international bank and organization for the continuation of their jobs in Afghanistan.
About the increase in the level of literacy in Afghanistan, the women said that the international community should support the programs to increase the level of literacy and Islamic studies in Afghanistan, reported The Khaama Press News Agency. They also said that the people of Afghanistan are living in a critical economic situation, thus they have to be helped. Meanwhile, the central banks allowed firms and companies to withdraw USD 25 thousand per week. The individual account holders are still limited to USD 200 withdrawal per week.
The limitations, huge unemployment, and freezing of billions of dollars of Afghanistan together have led to an economic and humanitarian crisis in the country. Prices of food, fuels, and gas have been increased by over 20 per cent each, which has put the lives of millions of people in grave danger. Moreover, the new rulers are not experienced to confront the intricate economic issues that the impoverished country is facing.
The former chief of Afghanistan's central bank had also fled the country leaving the financial decision in disarray. According to InsideOver, Afghanistan ranks as one of the most at-risk, fragile economies in the world despite receiving western aid for two decades. The World Bank had said that in Afghanistan, poverty is endemic, as is underdevelopment. It also added that nearly 90 per cent of Afghanistan's population lived on less than USD 2 a day and Kabul, which received USD 4.2 billion in aid in 2019 will receive probably none this year