The World Bank said on Tuesday that it had halted disbursements of aid money to Afghanistan as it assesses how the Taliban plan to rule the country.

A World Bank spokesperson said that the international development organisation is “deeply concerned” about the situation in Afghanistan, particularly the impact that the new leadership will have on women in the country. The bank plans to monitor how the leadership transition proceeds.

The World Bank has committed more than $5.3 billion for development projects in Afghanistan since 2002 and has raised nearly $13 billion for the Afghanistan Reconstruction Trust Fund, which it administers. The bank had committed nearly $800 million to the country in 2021.

The decision follows a move by the IMF last week to freeze the distribution of more than $400 million in emergency currency reserves.

New York Times News Service