Sanctions impact “limited but tangible”

A new UN report regarding the direct impact of limited sanctions against the Taliban on the humanitarian situation in Afghanistan has found the effect “limited but tangible”. The report, commissioned by the UN Humanitarian Coordinator in Afghanistan, said current UN sanctions against the Taliban Islamic Movement - affecting flights and assets - also had a substantial indirect impact on the humanitarian situation. “The sense of isolation and the lack of confidence about the future felt by Afghans can be linked to the future of the economy, the ability of civil society to influence the Taliban, and the ability to attract international investment and funding,” the report stated. Direct consequences included reduced economic activity in some sectors caused by the ban on Ariana Afghan Airlines. Travel was constrained and imports of medical supplies limited, the report said. The sanctions had also contributed to a deterioration in Ariana’s domestic services and maintenance standards, as well as reducing the options for humanitarian agencies bringing supplies into the country. Curbs on the Afghan banking system were a direct disincentive to investing in Afghanistan, thereby discouraging or restricting rehabilitation activities. The report stressed the crucial need for rehabilitation in non-war affected areas “to break the downward spiral of poverty for vulnerable populations”. “Above all, it should be noted that the high levels of vulnerability in Afghanistan exaggerate the impact of what would otherwise be fairly insignificant effects of the sanctions regime,” the report said. “The ability of ordinary Afghans to withstand any kind of deterioration in their situation after 20 years of war is extremely limited, and seemingly innocuous actions can have a serious impact on the lives of millions of people.” The report, issued on 8 December, comes as the UN Security Council is considering US and Russian proposals for further sanctions against the Taliban, including an arms embargo, in a bid to stop alleged terrorist activities emanating from Afghanistan. A fact sheet released by the US State Department last week said the current UN sanctions were carefully targeted to avoid exacerbating the hardships already facing the Afghan people. It recalled that the sanctions were imposed on 14 November 1999 “because the Taliban continued to refuse to hand over indicted terrorist Usama bin Laden [of Saudi Arabia] to a place where he can be brought to justice”, it said. “The sanctions specifically allow exemptions for flights related to humanitarian emergencies and religious obligations,” the report said. Noting that the US had just announced the provision of a further 30,000 mt of wheat to drought-affected Afghans, it underlined that the US was the largest single aid donor to Afghanistan. [UN report available at http://www.reliefweb.int/w/rwb.nsf]