Dozens of women staged a gathering in reaction to US President Joe Biden’s decision to preserve $3.5 billion of Afghan assets for potential compensation payments to victims of 9/11.  

However, the US special envoy to Afghanistan, Thomas West, said that Biden’s decision has been misinterpreted.

The women called on the US president to reconsider his decision, saying that the assets belong to the people of Afghanistan. 

“A rich country is taking the bread from the napkin of the poor people under the excuse of war compensation, it has nothing to do with war,” said Toor Pikai, the deputy of  Women for Peace and Freedom. 

The women said that Afghanistan has been plunged into an economic crisis and that the assets should remain in order to support the Afghan economy.  

“We protest and call for the release of Afghan assets. Afghanistan should have access to it, so we can be rescued from an economic crisis,” said Setara Muftkhir, a university instructor.  

This comes as the acting Minister of Foreign Affairs Amir Khan Muttaqi said that he brought up the issue of the Afghan assets with a US official in Doha, calling it unacceptable.

Economists believe that the lack of funds in reserve will affect the Afghan economic sector.

“Afghanistan relies on imports and all commodities are imported from overseas, if the money in reserve is spent, the Afghan currency will lose its value against foreign currencies,” said Abdul Naseer Rishtia.

The former United Nations Special Representative to Afghanistan, Kai Eide, also called it a wrong decision.