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World Bank halts aid to Afghanistan, "deeply concerned" on prospects for women

25 August 2021 15:39 (UTC +04:00)

The World Bank has become the latest international organization to pause aid disbursements to Afghanistan following the Taliban’s takeover, APA reports citing CNBC.

The Islamic militant group has controlled the Afghan capital of Kabul for more than a week now. It marked the collapse of the country’s government as U.S. and allied troops withdraw from the war-torn country after 20 years.

“We are deeply concerned about the situation in Afghanistan and the impact on the country’s development prospects, especially for women,” a spokesperson for the World Bank told CNBC via email.

“We have paused disbursements in our operations in Afghanistan and we are closely monitoring and assessing the situation in line with our internal policies and procedures. As we do so, we will continue to consult closely with the international community and development partners,” the same spokesperson said.

The World Bank had committed more than $5.3 billion for development projects in Afghanistan.

The International Monetary Fund decided last week to also block the Taliban from accessing financial resources. The Washington-based institution wants some clarity regarding the future government in Kabul before making its funding available again.

There’s a similar stance from Germany and the wider European Union, who have also frozen development funds to the Middle Eastern nation in the wake of the Taliban takeover.

“The future development assistance has to be condition-based. It always is condition-based, linked to fundamental values, human rights, and of course women’s rights. And it is self-speaking that the development assistance of the future has also to be strictly condition-based,” Ursula von der Leyen, the European Commission’s president, said Tuesday at a press conference.

She added that the EU has 1 billion euros ($1.17 billion) set aside for the next seven years for Afghanistan. “It is frozen until we have solid guarantees and credible actions on the ground that the conditions are being met,” she said.