US asset freezes deepening women's suffering in Taliban-ruled Afghanistan, say UN experts

The United States is contributing to the suffering of women in Afghanistan through asset freezes, said independent United Nations experts on Monday, also noting that Taliban discrimination is damaging women's rights.

The United Nations and foreign governments, including Washington, have condemned moves by the Taliban to backtrack on women's rights commitments such as on girls' education in the months following their takeover last August.

However, the statement by 14 UN independent rights experts also blamed the US government for making life worse for Afghan women through blocking billions of dollars of central bank assets made up in part of aid money for the country accumulated over decades.

"While gender-based violence has been a long-standing and severe threat to women and girls, it has been exacerbated by the measures imposed by the US," said the statement, without giving specific details.

It also blamed the Taliban's "widening gender-based discrimination" for deteriorating women's rights.

The current humanitarian crisis in which 23 million are reliant on food aid is having a "disproportionate impact" on women and children, the statement added.

Central bank funds have been frozen since August as the Taliban took over and foreign forces withdrew.

US President Joe Biden issued an executive order in February to renew the freeze and said it was working to free up half of that money to help the Afghan people while holding the rest to possibly satisfy terrorism-related lawsuits against the Taliban.

After the Taliban's return last August, four young Afghans decided to leave their cities and seek asylum in Europe. But their journey took a perilous turn when they were sent to Syria instead. @alibomaye reports ⬇ https://t.co/b3ubWplXR9

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The UN experts appointed by the Geneva-based Rights Council called the order's provisions "overly broad" and said they were resulting in "over-zealous compliance with sanctions thus preventing people of Afghanistan from any access to basic humanitarian goods".

Under international human rights law, governments including the United States have an obligation to ensure their activities do not result in rights violations, the statement said.

The experts said they formerly relayed their concerns and recommendations to Washington. They have not yet received a reply, they said.

Reuters is seeking comment from the United States.

(Reuters)