World Bank freezes Afghan projects after Taliban bans girls from high school
By Andrea Shalal and Jonathan Landay
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The World Financial institution has put 4 tasks in Afghanistan value $600 million on maintain amid issues over a choice by the nation’s ruling Islamist leaders to ban ladies from returning to public excessive colleges, the financial institution stated.
The tasks, to be funded beneath the revamped Afghanistan Reconstruction Belief Fund, had been being readied for implementation by United Nations businesses to assist tasks in agriculture, schooling, well being, and livelihoods.
However the financial institution’s steerage requires all ARTF-financed actions to assist entry to – and fairness of companies for – ladies and ladies in Afghanistan, the financial institution stated, citing its deep issues over the Taliban’s ban on ladies attending highschool.
In consequence, the financial institution stated, the 4 tasks shall be offered to ARTF donors for approval solely “when the World Financial institution and worldwide companions have a greater understanding of the scenario and confidence that the targets of the tasks might be met.” It was not instantly clear when that would happen.
U.S. officers final week cancelled deliberate conferences in Doha with the Taliban over the choice to maintain ladies out of secondary faculty.
The chief board of the World Financial institution on March 1 permitted a plan to make use of greater than $1 billion from the ARTF fund to finance urgently wanted schooling, agriculture, well being and household applications that might bypass sanctioned Taliban authorities and disburse the cash by way of U.N. businesses and assist teams.
The ARTF was frozen in August when the Taliban took energy as U.S.-led worldwide troops departed after 20 years of warfare.
International governments additionally ended monetary assist comprising over 70% of presidency expenditures, accelerating the nation’s financial collapse.
When it agreed to unlock ARTF funds for brand new tasks to be carried out by UN businesses, the World Financial institution had stipulated that it anticipated a “robust deal with guaranteeing that women and girls take part and profit from the assist.”
The Taliban has unraveled good points in rights made by ladies over the past twenty years, together with proscribing them from working and limiting their journey until accompanied by a detailed male family member. Most ladies had been additionally barred from going to highschool past seventh grade.
However Taliban leaders had stated all ladies could be allowed to return to school rooms later this month.
(Reporting by Andrea Shalal; Modifying by Sam Holmes)
