International community considers Afghanistan aid

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres urged countries to give monetary aid to Afghanistan before its economy crumbles. Previously, international aid accounted for more than 75 percent of Afghanistan’s spending. Since the Taliban took control in August, UN member nations pulled aid and froze the country’s assets. Now banks and healthcare centers are closing as the economy struggles to cope. Guterres said the international community can bolster monetary support without legitimizing the Taliban government if they give through UN trust funds or nongovernmental organizations. He also appealed to the Taliban to reinstate women’s access to work and education.

What about humanitarian assistance? The U.S. State Department met with Taliban officials in Doha, Qatar, for the first direct meeting since the military withdrawal in August. The State Department said they discussed “robust humanitarian assistance, directly to the Afghan people.” The Taliban reported that the U.S. promised aid at that meeting despite not giving them political recognition.

Dig deeper: Read my report in The Stew about what the U.S. military withdrawal from Afghanistan means for counterterrorism efforts.