U.S. Eases Sanctions on Afghanistan to Avoid Humanitarian Crisis

Faced with pressure to prevent  humanitarian and economic disasters in Afghanistan, the Biden administration took steps on Wednesday to provide more aid to Taliban-led countries. This measure is exempt from the severe economic sanctions imposed on the Taliban. However, diplomats and activists said deregulation may not be enough to save the country from its "shocking" hardships and sufferings.

At the same time, some Republicans said the Biden government was at risk of justifying and even funding the Taliban leaders. Regardless, government officials have struggled to meet urgent humanitarian needs without empowering the Taliban. The United States has fought a 20-year war against the Taliban and has not recognized them as a legitimate government. After taking over Afghanistan in August, the Biden government cut off most aid to the country. As a result, Afghanistan's fragile economy is on the verge of collapse due to a combination of the coronavirus pandemic, severe drought, loss of development aid, and frozen currency reserves.

After weeks of swift action calls, the Treasury has decided to support international aid agencies, and the U.S. government in hopes of helping Afghan citizens. This measure took place shortly after the UN Security Council passed a resolution which was upheld by the United States and exempted humanitarian activities in Afghanistan from international sanctions for one year. Biden officials say the United States remains the world's leading provider of humanitarian aid to Afghanistan, even after  most aid has been withdrawn due to the Taliban’s reign.