Day after day brings stories and photos of a collapsed Afghanistan economy, with insufficient food for hundreds of thousands or millions, professionals including health care workers who are receiving little or nothing in wages, a very limited banking system and the buying power of the currency dropping fast.
Meanwhile, about $7 billion in Afghan assets are deposited in New York.
News reports this week are that the White House has decided to make half of the Afghans’ $7 billion available for humanitarian relief independent of the Taliban and the other half to the families of those who died in the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks whose instigators were based in Afghanistan.
There are plenty of weighty factors tied to the fate of the $7 billion, among them that the funds were accumulated ethically, at least partially by Afghan people, but under a government that no longer exists.
Given the magnitude of the need, we would like to see at least $3.5 billion used for immediate and short-term aid to the Afghan people. That would have to be done, as best possible, without benefiting the Taliban. The Taliban would have to allow third party aid organizations to assess needs and to fill them, independently. And, the Taliban would have to understand that the support would stop if they inserted their organization into the distributions for its benefit. If the Taliban abide, we also say make the other $3.5 billion available as well. It is Afghan resources.
Of course, we can expect that it isn’t just conditions this winter and early spring that require attention. Afghanistan’s agriculture suffered under a drought last year, and the war surely damaged and destroyed agricultural infrastructure and equipment. Seed, fertilizer and harvesting equipment will be necessary. And, not just this year, but likely next year and the year after.
Then there’s the delivery of health care, including pay for its practitioners, and water systems. The list goes on.
As a part of releasing the $3.5 billion, the Talban also will have to facilitate the departure of the Afghans who worked for the allies and their families and who were left behind during the allies’ hasty departure in August. Who is on that list will be contentious, yes, as given conditions many Afghans will believe they’ll have a brighter future in another country.
Those who worked for and supported the allies during the 20 years of fighting and who are now threatened by the Taliban with harm or isolation deserve to be able to leave Afghanistan if they wish.
Difficult as it is to participate in rebuilding a country whose leaders today caused the deaths of so many Americans and the expenditure of trillions of dollars, to leave the Afghanistan people without a lifeline does the U.S. no good. Assisting in delivering what’s desperately needed is the humanitarian thing to do and it will reflect more favorably on the U.S. than doing nothing. It is the Afghans’ money.
