Sweden to change aid policy on Afghanistan after taliban takeover

Moscow, Aug 16 (UNI/Sputnik) The Swedish government will revise its aid policy on Afghanistan after the Taliban (a terrorist organization, banned in Russia) captured Kabul, Minister for International Development Cooperation Per Olsson Fridh said on Monday.
“Now the assistance [to Afghanistan] must be adapted to the new reality. No funds will go to the Taliban-led Government. We are analyzing the situation & what opportunities we have and what obstacles we must overcome together with the UN, the World Bank, @Sida [Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency], @SAK_Sweden [Swedish Committee for Afghanistan], and other civil society organizations in the country,” Fridh tweeted.
The minister further noted the difficult economic crisis in Afghanistan, adding that the Taliban takeover will further deteriorate the situation for civilians. Moreover, the needs of the population will increase in other aspects so it is important to preserve the delivery of assistance to children and women, among others, the minister said.
In the period from 2021-2024, Sweden is expected to send Afghanistan over 3 billion Swedish kronor ($347 million) in aid for the development of democratic institutions, according to Swedish newspaper Goteborgs-Posten.
Militants of the Islamist movement seized Kabul on Sunday, claiming victory in a more than twenty-year-long war in Afghanistan. President Ashraf Ghani resigned and fled the country.