Letter to the World Bank

October 13, 2021

Mr. David Malpass
President, The World Bank Group
1818 H Street NW Washington, D.C. 20433

Dear Mr. Malpass,

We are a non-political group of professionals, regional experts, civil society activists and Afghan-Americans. Many of us have followed that country’s history over the past years and decades; all of us are committed to doing what we can to lessen the suffering of Afghanistan’s civilian population and that of its most vulnerable members, women and children, in particular.

We have come together under the title “Unfreeze Afghanistan,” by which we mean that resources must be allowed to flow into the country for humanitarian needs, food provision, and salaries for teachers, health workers and public sector employees.

We are aware of the various security, diplomatic and other concerns guiding the debate around policies towards the Taliban government. We are agnostic on that topic and solely focused on trying to shield civilians from the fallout of those political disputes. For us, Afghanistan is its people, not its government.

Attached for your kind attention you will find a statement by one of the groups inside Afghanistan that we have been working with, the Teachers’ Union. We also attach a copy of our petition which has garnered over 3,500 signatures in just over a week’s time. From our understanding, our views and goals are strongly aligned with those of the World Bank Group on this topic. We are anxious to support the Bank and to be helpful in informing public opinion, or to amplify the messages regarding the dire situation of Afghan civilians, as required.

We cordially request a meeting with you or relevant Bank officials you designate, to discuss ways in which this urgent situation can best be addressed.

Sincerely,
The campaign to Unfreeze Afghanistan
Email: office@unfreezeafghanistan.com