The United Nations has said that they have up to $135 million in Afghanistan International Bank (AIB) but cannot convert it into local currency (Afghani) to use inside Afghanistan.

Abdullah Al Dardari, head of the UN Development Program in Afghanistan said that the UN had taken US dollars into the country and deposited with the AIB with clear from Taliban-run Central Bank that fresh cash will be automatically converted to Afghanis.

This did not happen, he told the ACAMS Global Sanctions Space Summit, adding that UNDP itself has $30 million stuck at AIB that I cannot convert to Afghanis and without Afghanis as you can imagine, we cannot implement all our programs.

The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan has been under international sanctions that are hindering the UN from implementing humanitarian operations in the war-ravaged country as 39 million Afghan population suffer from extreme hunger and educational, economic, and social services face collapse.

The concern comes a day after the US Department of Treasury lifted a number of financial sanctions from Afghanistan and allowed international banks to transfer money into Afghanistan and send money to Afghan teachers and health sectors.