When the Taliban overthrew the democratically elected government of Afghanistan in August of last year, more than US$9 billion in reserves was held in the name of the Central Bank of Afghanistan (DAB) outside of Afghanistan, including an estimated US$7 billion in the US. On 11 February the President of the United States signed an Executive Order regarding certain assets of the DAB held in the United States by US financial institutions. The Order blocks certain property of DAB and requires it to be transferred into a consolidated account held at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. The ultimate fate of the frozen funds remains as yet unclear, due both to various legal cases in the US courts and to the likely delay of several months to finalise modalities relating to the Executive Order. The US Administration has said that they will consult widely with international partners during that time.
I am extremely concerned by the humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan, which now has the highest number of people in emergency food insecurity in the world. In response, Ireland through its Official Development Assistance (ODA) programme, Irish Aid, has provided over €4 million in humanitarian support for the people of Afghanistan since mid-August. This funding has been allocated to the UN High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR), the UN Afghanistan Humanitarian Fund (AHF) and UNICEF respectively. These emergency response programmes are addressing the urgent needs of the population, including providing food aid, treatment for severe acute malnutrition in children, and other essential services. As Ireland’s aid has been allocated directly to UN agencies, it is not impacted by measures taken by the US in relation to freezing or unfreezing assets of the Central Bank of Afghanistan.
I and my officials have been active in discussions on addressing the humanitarian situation in Afghanistan at EU level and especially at the UN Security Council, prioritising a continued core role for the UN in the unhindered delivery of humanitarian aid to the millions who need it. In an effort to further alleviate the dire humanitarian situation, Ireland strongly advocated for UN Security Council Resolution 2615 on humanitarian exemptions from UN sanctions against members of the Taliban. Agreed unanimously in December 2021, these exemptions will ensure that humanitarian activity is not impeded by UN sanctions and will assist in meeting the basic needs of the Afghan people.
The most recent Security Council meeting on Afghanistan took place on 26 January, and Ireland highlighted the urgent need for the international community to work collectively to address the dire humanitarian situation while noting that the crisis is of such a magnitude that it requires a broader and more sustained response. We will again emphasise the need for urgent action on the humanitarian situation when the UN Security Council meets to discuss UNAMA (the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan) later this week. I have also raised the humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan in numerous bilateral meetings over the past few months, in particular in meetings with counterparts from other members of the UN Security Council and regional actors.
