Afghanistan is in a desperate humanitarian crisis. Presbyterians call for help

PC(USA) advocacy offices urge Biden administration to reverse policies making the situation worse

by Rich Copley | Presbyterian News Service

Photo by Farid Ershad via Unsplash

LEXINGTON, Kentucky — As Afghanistan faces a humanitarian crisis that threatens to take more lives than the United States’ 20-year war in the country, the Office of Public Witness and Presbyterian Ministry at the United Nations are calling on the Biden Administration to reverse fiscal policies that are exacerbating the situation.

According to the United Nations, 8.7 million Afghans are on the brink of starvation in the midst of economic collapse and the depths of winter. The U.N. Development Program said 97% of Afghanistan’s population will fall into poverty by the middle of this year, and up to 1 million children under 5 could die by the end of the year due to the lack of food, water and sanitation services.

The crisis stems in large part from the U.S. and international community freezing Afghanistan’s economic assets abroad and economic support after the Taliban took control of the country during the U.S. withdrawal late last summer. While the economic measures are meant to punish the Taliban, which has a long history of brutality and discrimination against women and girls, the pain is falling on Afghan people.

“It is disheartening to see that U.S. sanctions are bringing such hardship to the Afghan people and wiping out any development gains that have been made in the past 20 years,” said Sue Rheem, the PC(USA)’s Representative to the United Nations.  “The UN has called for a $5 billion humanitarian aid appeal and release of frozen assets for humanitarian assistance.  We call on the U.S. to do its part to alleviate the undue suffering of the people of Afghanistan.

“By all accounts, the situation in Afghanistan is extremely dire right now. UN and international aid groups are struggling to get humanitarian aid into the country.  While a small amount of assistance is trickling in, it is not enough to help more than half of the country’s 40 million who are suffering from extreme hunger as the country faces systemic collapse.  The freezing winter temperatures have added to the misery Afghans are suffering. The UN reports that nearly all Afghans are now plunged into poverty.”

The $5 billion appeal is the largest single-country appeal ever issued by the UN. Supporting the call to help is in line with Presbyterian policy.

The Action Alert acknowledged President Joe Biden’s executive order Friday morning that freed $7 billion in frozen Afghan assets, with half going to aid in Afghanistan and half going to families of victims of the terror attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, but added, “more funds will be necessary to save lives and stabilize Afghanistan.”

“In 2010 the General Assembly urged the president of the United States and Congress to commit the U.S. government to the use of peaceful means in the pursuit of national interests, concentrating upon diplomacy, international collaboration, interfaith dialogue, material aid for education and reduction of poverty,” said Catherine Gordon, Representative for International Issues in the Office of Public Witness. “The current U.S. policy only harms the very people we are striving to help.  We must make sure the Afghan people do not suffer because of the situation created by our own policy. It is completely counterproductive.”

The PC(USA)’s Advocacy Offices on Capitol Hill and at the United Nations are urging people to contact their congressional representatives and ask them to:

• Release the rest of Afghanistan Central Bank reserves to inject liquidity into the collapsing Afghan economy.
• Loosen U.S. sanctions to mitigate the chilling effect of restrictions on foreign banks and businesses, while offering Afghan banks access to their overseas holdings and to the global financial system.
• Pledge additional emergency funding toward the $5 billion United Nations’ 2022 humanitarian aid appeal and dedicate the necessary diplomatic capital to encourage Western partners to contribute their fair share.
• Increase refugee assistance to Afghan refugees including increased resettlement here in the U.S.

The Action Alert provides a form for people to contact their congressional representatives.

The Presbyterian Ministry at the United Nations and Office of Public Witness are Compassion, Peace & Justice ministries of the Presbyterian Mission Agency.