BBC News
The 17th Extraordinary Meeting of the OIC Foreign Ministers was held in Islamabad on Sunday, in which it proposed ways to deliver aid to Afghanistan which could be adopted in spite of the country's international sanctions.
The conference was hosted by Pakistan in which the situation in Afghanistan was discussed and an appeal was made to the international community for assistance and cooperation.
The purpose of the meeting was to discuss the humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan and to determine ways to help more than half of the food-starved population.
It should be noted that according to the United Nations itself, 3.2 million children are currently on the verge of malnutrition in Afghanistan.
Addressing a press conference after the meeting, Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi briefed on the decisions taken at the conference, including a Humanitarian Trust Fund and Food at the Islamic Development Bank to provide assistance to Afghanistan under the auspices of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC). It was also agreed to set up a security program.
How will aid reach Afghanistan despite global sanctions?
But the big question at the moment is how can this aid be sent to Afghanistan in the face of international sanctions?
Addressing a meeting of OIC foreign ministers, Prime Minister Imran Khan, referring to the economic crisis, urged the United States to separate Afghanistan from the Afghan Taliban.
Pakistan's Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi has said that it should be ensured that sanctions do not stand in the way of aid reaching schools, hospitals and the people of Afghanistan.
Prior to the meeting, it was expected that some Muslim countries would announce financial assistance for aid in Afghanistan, but no country other than Pakistan and Saudi Arabia itself announced aid.
It should be noted that the Foreign Minister of Saudi Arabia, Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud, during his address to the meeting, announced that he would provide one billion riyals (5 265 million) in aid to the people of Afghanistan. Pakistan has already announced about ً 30 million in aid.
What are the sanctions on Afghanistan?
There are three types of global sanctions on any state or individual. The first and foremost type is the sanctions imposed by the Security Council. These sanctions are in effect under Chapter VII of the United Nations Charter.
Security Council sanctions are a matter of international law.
In the second type of sanctions, a body other than the United Nations and a group of different companies, such as the European Union or the FATF, may impose sanctions on another country for any reason.
The third category includes sanctions that a state or country imposes on a country at the individual level, called unilateral sanctions.
Speaking to the BBC about the sanctions, Syed Muhammad Ali, director of the Center for Aerospace and Security Studies, said unilateral sanctions may be political policy but do not have the status of law for other countri
What kind of sanctions are imposed on the Taliban?
Sanctions on Afghanistan began in 1999. Earlier, the US envoy to the Security Council called on the Taliban government in Afghanistan to release al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden to the United States after he was accused of involvement in al-Qaeda attacks on US embassies, defense installations or similar attempts and terrorist acts in the United States. Had demanded extradition.
At the time, however, Taliban leader Mullah Omar rejected the demand, after which the Security Council imposed sanctions on al-Qaeda and the Taliban for supporting them. Following the sanctions, Afghanistan's assets were frozen, and aid agencies in the country suspended their programs.
Following the 2001 invasion of Afghanistan by the United States and its allies and the overthrow of the Taliban regime, the UN Security Council split the sanctions into two parts, and now sanctions are being imposed on individuals and groups.
That is why today many members of Afghanistan's interim government are subject to sanctions by a number of countries, including the United Nations Security Council, the United States, the United Kingdom and the European Union. The United States has imposed severe sanctions on the Taliban since 2001, and they are still in place today.
Former President Barack Obama's administration imposed the highest number of economic sanctions at 103, according to US official figures, and President Donald Trump, who was negotiating peace with the Taliban, imposed the lowest at 24 new sanctions. While the former remains in place.
Today, the Taliban are banned from doing business with the Haqqani Network and its affiliates, supplying them with weapons and ammunition, or providing any kind of financial support to them or any person, organization, organization or activity linked to them. Is imposed
These restrictions prohibit any financial, human or other support for any activity that directly or indirectly benefits those linked to the Taliban against whom sanctions are imposed. In addition, these people are subject to travel restrictions and their assets are frozen.
In addition to the United Nations, the United States itself has imposed severe sanctions on current Taliban members and the Haqqani Network and its members. Apart from terrorism, there are also sanctions related to crimes such as aiding terrorists, drug trafficking, corruption and money laundering.
What are the current difficulties in providing aid in Afghanistan?
Following the fall of the government and the seizure of power in Kabul this year, the United States froze all of its assets in Afghanistan, valued at approximately ً 9.5 billion, after which the internationally aided banking system In Afghanistan itself, the Taliban ordered the use of Afghan currency instead of dollars.
On the other hand, aid agencies also stopped their activities due to security concerns and sanctions against the Taliban government.
The main reason for this is the fear that even in the case of international sanctions, in case of transfer of funds or sending them to a country under Taliban control, these institutions themselves may face severe accountability in their own countries.
US easing sanctions and issuing general licenses
However, for the first time in September, the United States announced at least two general licenses to provide humanitarian aid to Afghanistan, according to which various US and US-based international aid agencies have launched relief operations in Afghanistan. can.
However, due to unclear conditions in this regard, various institutions are currently reluctant to provide any such financial assistance.
Some international organizations have also opened the door to help Afghanistan after the US announcement. As the World Bank has decided to send money from the development fund allocated for Afghanistan to Afghanistan.
But it has also been made clear that under these general licenses, no money will be handed over to Taliban-affiliated individuals or their government, nor will any money be paid to government employees under the Taliban government.
The money will be used for food and medicine.
OIC Foreign Ministers Meeting in Pakistan
The OIC Foreign Ministers' Meeting in Pakistan is also an attempt to find a way to deliver aid to Afghanistan, to the satisfaction of other countries and aid agencies.
The most important decision taken at the meeting was to set aside an account in the Islamic Development Bank for aid to Afghanistan, where other countries and international organizations would transfer funds, which would be used for relief operations in Afghanistan.
Speaking at a press conference after the meeting, Pakistan's Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi said, "We know there are some countries that want to donate but they need an account that is accessible to all. Be accepted There are some countries that do not want to donate directly but want to have a mechanism that they can use easily, that is why we have taken the path of the Islamic Development Bank.
Referring to this statement, Syed Mohammad Ali says that it is important to see whether these sanctions related to Afghanistan are on a few individuals or on the entire state. And if they are on a few people, will the presence of these people in the government affect all the Afghan people?
He says neighboring countries will be hardest hit by Afghanistan's deteriorating situation, which is why they are trying to ease sanctions or ensure aid to the Afghan people as soon as possible.
As the humanitarian crisis worsens, there are fears that the number of refugees in neighboring countries may increase or that there may be security threats that could affect those countries." That is why efforts are being made to provide a neutral and multifaceted platform that can help the Afghan people, regardless of whether or not there is a government of your choice in Afghanistan. "
According to him, there are several UN agencies that are currently in contact with the Taliban government and limited relief operations are being carried out.
But all of these institutions are also under the influence of major international powers. And that's why we're looking for alternative platforms that can help the Afghan people at the moment. "
Asked why the Islamic Development Bank, Syed Muhammad Ali says UN agencies, the World Food Program, or the World Health Organization are working on the issue. Alternative routes include the SCO forum in addition to the OIC, while the Asian Bank option can also be considered.
How long will it take for the funding to reach Afghanistan?
Prior to the meeting, it was expected that several Islamic countries would announce aid packages or donations for Afghanistan. However, no country other than Saudi Arabia and Pakistan has made such an announcement.
During a press conference after the meeting, OIC Secretary General Hussein Ibrahim Taha was asked if any country had openly announced the amount of funds, to which he replied, "That's right." "We have set up this fund but we are not in touch with the Afghan authorities yet."
He said Afghan officials would be contacted soon to find out what their needs were.
That's when donations will start coming. We have not received any donations yet, it will start only after direct contact with the Afghan authorities and we are hopeful for that.
Dr Rasheed Ahmad Khan, an expert on international affairs, told the BBC that it would remain a challenge to deliver aid to Afghanistan until sanctions were lifted.
In his view, the most important role in this regard is played by diplomacy. According to him, the OIC cannot exert any direct pressure but it can draw the attention of the United Nations.
Syed Mohammad Ali says it will take time to decide on the procedure.
According to him, the fund will be established first, legislation will be enacted and rules and regulations will be laid down in accordance with the rules of member countries and international aid agencies.
The OIC member countries will contribute to the fund and then it will be seen how the fund will reach the people, how and through which channel it will be transmitted, in which areas and in what mode it will be disseminated to the people. It is not necessary that this fund be given to the government based in Afghanistan. This procedure will be worked out by consensus of all countries.
The Taliban must also change
According to Dr Rashid Ahmad Khan, early access to aid also depends on the Taliban's own conduct and how they can convince the international community of their actions.
According to him, the Taliban had made some promises under the Doha Agreement, one of which was related to women's rights and they would talk to different quarters of Afghanistan before seizing power. And the Taliban's third promise was that they would not harbor any terrorist organization in Afghanistan.
In his opinion, the Taliban have not been able to fulfill all the three promises.
There has been evidence that the Taliban have killed more than 100 surrendering security forces personnel, contrary to their own amnesty. As far as education is concerned, girls are not being given access to primary school.
According to Dr. Rashid, the OIC meeting has also sent a message to the Afghan Taliban to change their behavior.
