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U.S. advice to banks: OK to transfer aid money to Afghanistan
International banks can transfer money to Afghanistan for humanitarian purposes, and aid groups are allowed to pay teachers and healthcare workers at state-run institutions without fear of breaching sanctions on the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA), the United States said on Wednesday.
The U.S. Treasury Department offered guidance on sanctions exemptions issued in September and December for humanitarian work in Afghanistan, where the United Nations says more than half the country’s 39 million people suffer extreme hunger and the economy, education and social services are facing collapse.
U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres last week warned Afghanistan was “hanging by a thread.”
The IEA, seized power from Afghanistan’s internationally backed government in August. Billions of dollars in Afghan central bank reserves and international development aid were frozen to prevent it from falling into IEA hands.
International banks have been wary of Afghanistan and the United Nations and aid groups are struggling to get enough money into the country to fund operations.
The U.S. Treasury said banks can process transactions related to humanitarian operations “including clearing, settlement, and transfers through, to, or otherwise involving privately owned and state-owned Afghan depository institutions.”
It also outlined permitted transactions involving the IEA, which includes Haqqani Network. These include signing agreements to provide aid directly to the Afghan people, general aid coordination, including import administration, and sharing of office space.
“Payments of taxes, fees, or import duties to, or the purchase or receipt of permits, licenses, or public utility services from” the IEA, Haqqani Network or any entity in which they own more than 50% is authorized for humanitarian operations, the Treasury said.
It also said aid groups are allowed to ship cash to Afghanistan for humanitarian operations and can make direct payments to healthcare workers and teachers in public hospitals and schools.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Pakistan has appointed 19 new ambassadors and consuls general for its overseas missions.
Among these appointments, Shahbaz Hussain and Awais Ahmad Khan have been named as Pakistan’s consuls general in Kandahar and Mazar-e-Sharif, respectively.
Mohammad Ishaq Dar, Pakistan’s Foreign Minister, said in a post on X that these appointments were made with the approval of Shahbaz Sharif, the country’s Prime Minister.
Former Afghan President Hamid Karzai says the growth and development of human society in various dimensions require the active role of women and girls, and this is only possible if they have access to education.
Karzai made these remarks on Wednesday on the occasion of the International Day of Women and Girls in Science, which falls on February 11.
Expressing appreciation for the role of Afghan women and girls in social life, he encouraged them to strive by all possible means to gain access to education and training and to participate in the growth and development of the country.
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Four years on, UN and EU renew call for Afghan girls’ right to education
The European Union delegation in Afghanistan also stressed the importance of women’s participation in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM).
As the world observed International Day of Women and Girls in Science, the United Nations and the European Union renewed their calls for Afghan girls’ right to education, warning that continued restrictions threaten the country’s future development.
The United Nations in Afghanistan said the day was marked with sorrow, noting that 1,607 days have passed since girls over the age of 12 were barred from attending school.
UNAMA warned that more than four years of exclusion have led to lost opportunities and undermined key sectors that rely on educated women, reiterating its demand that the ban be lifted.
The European Union delegation in Afghanistan also stressed the importance of women’s participation in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM).
In a statement, the EU said Afghan women — including nurses, midwives, and researchers — play a crucial role in building a healthy and prosperous society, adding that women must remain central to scientific progress. The bloc reaffirmed its support for education for all Afghans.
The United Nations further emphasized that equality in science is essential not only for human advancement but also for ensuring that technology and artificial intelligence contribute to global prosperity.
It warned that excluding Afghan women and girls from education and employment is not only an act of marginalization but a serious barrier to Afghanistan’s long-term development and stability.
The statements come amid continued international appeals to expand access to education and job opportunities for Afghan women and girls.
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