06 July 1999
(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)