US to use $7B in frozen Afghan assets for aid

The United States will use around $7 billion in frozen Afghan funds for humanitarian aid and compensation for the victims of the 9/11 attacks, the AP reported on Friday. US President Joe Biden should sign an executive order allowing the US government to access Afghan central bank assets held at the Federal Reserve Bank in New York, sources said.

The White House announced in January that it will provide over $308 million in humanitarian assistance to the Afghan people, many of whom are facing food and healthcare shortages. Around $3.5 billion of the seized funds is expected to go toward aid, while the other $3.5 billion will “be used to fund ongoing litigation by US victims of terrorism,” according to the report.