IEA urges lifting of sanctions on Afghanistan

The Ministry of Economy has called on the international community to lift sanctions imposed on Afghanistan.

Officials from the ministry said that the continuation of these sanctions has had a negative impact on trade, investment, and the rise of poverty and unemployment in the country.

They also urged the international community not to politicize humanitarian issues.

Abdul Rahman Habib, the spokesperson for the Ministry of Economy, stated the ongoing economic sanctions have affected key indicators such as domestic and foreign trade, investment, and job opportunities.

Habib further appealed to the international community not to politicize humanitarian concerns and to continue humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan.

Meanwhile, experts have said that the political and economic sanctions imposed by the international community are not in Afghanistan’s interest.

The private sector also views dialogue and negotiation as the only way out of the country’s current challenges.

Abdul Jabbar Safi, head of the Afghanistan Industrialists Association, said: “Humanitarian aid is very important, and alongside that, the sanctions must be lifted.”

Recently, the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) stated that more than 22 million people in Afghanistan will be in need of humanitarian assistance in 2025.

The sanctions were largely imposed following the IEA’s return to power in August 2021.

These include the freezing of Afghan central bank assets—estimated at over $9 billion—and the suspension of international banking access, severely limiting the country’s financial system and public sector operations.

While some humanitarian exemptions have been granted, much of the formal economy remains paralyzed.