Biden signs order to free $3.5B in Afghan assets for humanitarian needs, 9/11 victims

Feb. 11 (UPI) -- President Joe Biden on Friday signed an executive order starting the process of taking $3.5 billion in frozen assets connected to Afghanistan to be used for humanitarian aid and victims of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attack by al-Qaeda.

The White House said the procedures would "provide a path" for funds to reach the Afghanistan public using it as humanitarian aid, thus bypassing the Taliban, which is running the country.

"The United States has sanctions in place against the Taliban and the Haqqani network, including for activities that threaten the safety of Americans such as holding our citizens hostage," the White House said.

"While this [executive order] will help preserve a substantial portion of Afghanistan's reserves to benefit the Afghan people, we understand there are no easy solutions for Afghanistan's economic challenges, which have been exacerbated by the Taliban's forced takeover of the country."

The administration froze about $7 billion in assets of the Afghan government last August when the Taliban forced its way back into power, pushing out the U.S.-supported Afghan government that had been running the country for the bulk of the Afghanistan War.

Another $3 billion of Afghan funds in other countries have also been frozen and out of the Taliban's reach.

The poverty that has engulfed the country since the Taliban's return has been gripping, according to the United Nations.

Reports of children being sold for cash, people burning their possessions to keep warm during the winter months and hospitals overrun with malnourished adolescents have become commonplace there.

U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said last month that without changes in the country's financial state, "virtually every man, woman and child in Afghanistan could face acute poverty."

"Against this challenging backdrop, the United States will continue to work tirelessly with the international community to ensure that humanitarian assistance and other support flows to the people of Afghanistan," the White House said. "Over the past several months, we have acted urgently to support the Afghan people."