KABUL, AFGHANISTAN – US President Joe Biden has extended the national emergency about Afghanistan for an additional year, citing the “widespread humanitarian crisis” and the “potential for deepening economic collapse” in the country.
In a letter to Congress dated January 15, President Biden emphasized that these challenges continue to pose “an unusual and extraordinary threat” to US national security and foreign policy.
“The widespread humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan — including the urgent needs of the people of Afghanistan for food security, livelihoods support, water, sanitation, health, hygiene, and shelter and settlement assistance, among other basic human needs — and the potential for a deepening economic collapse in Afghanistan continue to pose an unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security and foreign policy of the United States,” the letter reads.
Biden further highlighted that preserving certain properties of Da Afghanistan Bank (DAB) held in the US is essential for addressing the national emergency and ensuring the welfare of the Afghan people.
“Therefore, in accordance with section 202(d) of the National Emergencies Act (50 U.S.C. 1622(d)), I am continuing for 1 year the national emergency declared in Executive Order 14064 with respect to the widespread humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan and the potential for a deepening economic collapse in Afghanistan,” Biden added in the letter.
In Executive Order 14064, signed in February 2022, President Biden declared a national emergency, granting him the authority to take specific actions regarding Afghanistan without requiring legislative approval.
Following the Taliban’s return to power in Afghanistan in 2021, the US government froze $7 billion in assets belonging to Da Afghanistan Bank that were held in the Federal Reserve. Later, $3.5 billion of this amount was transferred to a trust fund in Switzerland, while the remaining half is subject to legal claims by victims of the 9/11 attacks.
Since the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan, the humanitarian situation in the country has deteriorated drastically, making it one of the world’s most critical crises. According to UN estimates, nearly 23 million people—over half of Afghanistan’s population—mainly women and children, will require humanitarian assistance in 2025.
The regime’s bans on women working for international and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) as well as the UN have further complicated the humanitarian and protection environment in the country.
Despite ending its diplomatic and military presence in Afghanistan, the US remains the largest donor to the country, providing over $3 billion in humanitarian and development aid during this period.