US Counterterrorism Measures May Block Aid to Afghans
PUBLISHED IN JUST SECURITY, AUGUST 24, 2021
As the Afghan tragedy unfolds, the immediate focus is triage: seeking to save as many lives as possible. In addition to the urgent need to help at-risk people access the airport and board evacuation flights, there is a longer-term need to provide humanitarian assistance to the tens of millions of people who will stay in Afghanistan. This article, written by ICNL CEO Doug Rutzen and Senior Legal Advisor Nicholas Miller, calls on the United States to ensure that vital humanitarian aid for Afghanistan is not impeded by existing counterterrorism measures.
The article outlines three concrete steps governments can take:
Open a line of communication with humanitarian and civil society organizations
Clarify the legal status of humanitarian assistance and other forms of support
Begin a policy review of laws and regulations affecting humanitarian assistance
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