UN chief warns Afghan economic collapse would benefit terrorists

U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned Friday an Afghan economic collapse would occur if assets weren’t unfrozen, saying the collapse would be beneficial to terrorist groups in the area.

“We need to find ways to avoid a situation that would be catastrophic for the people and, in my opinion, a source of instability, and an action, gift for terrorist groups still operating there,” Guterres said Friday, Reuters reported. 

After the Taliban came into power, Afghanistan was cut off from its $10 billion assets abroad and $440 million in emergency reserves it has with the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

“At the present moment the U.N. is not even able to pay its salaries to its own workers,” Guterres said.

Guterres’s comments come after Deborah Lyons, the U.N. secretary-general’s special representative for Afghanistan, told the Security Council on Thursday there would be “a severe economic downturn” if the funds are not released.

“The economy must be allowed to breathe for a few more months, giving the Taliban a chance to demonstrate flexibility and a genuine will to do things differently this time, notably from a human rights, gender, and counter-terrorism perspective,” Lyons said.

The funds have been held from the group to have leverage over the Taliban, but Lyons said safeguards can be put on the money to ensure it is used correctly.