A cash crunch is crippling Afghanistan

THE International Rescue Committee, a big NGO, helps displaced Afghans with cash, clean water and tents to shelter in. It provides sanitation. It funds dozens of clinics. It helps people find jobs and arranges training for development projects. All this aid does not come cheap. Vicki Aken, who runs its operation in Afghanistan, reckons she needs between $1m and $2m every week to keep it going. But ever since the Taliban took over the country in August, foreign banks have refused to transfer money to Kabul, the country’s capital, fearing hefty fines, or worse, for breaching sanctions. Meanwhile, the Taliban, worried about running out of currency, have capped withdrawals from NGOs’ local accounts at $25,000 per month.