News

USIS Washington 
File

06 July 1999

FACT SHEET: EXECUTIVE ORDER IMPOSING SANCTIONS ON THE AFGHAN TALIBAN

(Humanitarian assistance to the Afghan people is not affected) (310)

[Following is a fact sheet on President Clinton's Executive Order
imposing sanctions on the Afghan Taliban and U.S. humanitarian
assistance to the people of Afghanistan.]

NEW EXECTIVE ORDER IMPOSING SANCTIONS ON THE TALIBAN AND U.S.
HUMANITARIAN ASSISTANCE TO AFGHANISTAN

-- The President's Executive Order will be implemented so as not to
affect humanitarian assistance, underscoring that the order is
directed at the Taliban, not the Afghan people.

-- We are the largest single provider of humanitarian assistance to
Afghanistan and Afghan refugees. Our assistance is provided through UN
specialized agencies and international Non-Governmental Organizations.
None goes to the Taliban or other Afghan factions.

-- In the last fiscal year -- FY 98 -- the State Department's Bureau
of Population, Refugees and Migration (PRM) provided some $8.3 million
in earmarked contributions through international and Non-Governmental
Organizations. Of that amount, over $3.3 million was for projects that
specifically targeted programs for Afghan women and girls, including
$1.5 million for education and health in Pakistan. An additional $14.8
million was contributed to the general regional appeals for UNHCR and
ICRC --a significant proportion of the latter was for programs for
Afghans in Afghanistan.

-- Also in FY 98, USAID's Office of U.S. Foreign Disaster Assistance
provided nearly $7 million for earthquake relief and for internally
displaced and other vulnerable persons inside Afghanistan. Assistance
was also provided for de-mining ($2 million), counter-narcotics ($1.54
million) and UN coordination ($500,000) from State Department
accounts.

-- For this current fiscal year, we anticipate that PRM funding will
be at least at the level of last year, though implementation of
assistance has been complicated by security conditions inside
Afghanistan.

July 6, 1999

(end fact sheet)