The Norwegian Refugee Council on Thursday in a report said the economic measures imposed on Afghanistan prevent aid agencies from moving funds into and within the country, which has put millions of people at risk because they are blocked from receiving emergency relief.

According to the report, the humanitarian organizations can't help millions of in-need people with humanitarian assistance unless the US Department of Treasury and other donor agencies enable the banks to facilitate humanitarian financial transfers and support Afghanistan’s central bank to resume its core functions.

“The unresolved liquidity crisis is a key driver in what is becoming the worst humanitarian catastrophe in the world. We recently called for USD 4.4 billion for starving Afghans - the biggest call of its kind in the history of humanitarian work. But unless the US Treasury and other Western financial authorities enable us to transfer the aid money, we will be forced to work with our hands tied, unable to get that money to the communities who desperately need it,” warned Jan Egeland, NRC’s Secretary-General.

According to NRC, 23 million people in Afghanistan face acute hunger, and the public services are on the brink of total collapse. The report says amid this situation, aid agencies are unable to scale up life-saving operations because formal financial channels into the country are almost entirely blocked.

The report says while the licenses issued by the US Department of Treasury and the exemption of sanctions by the UN on humanitarian assistance are good steps for supporting the people of Afghanistan but are not enough.

“Millions of Afghans will suffer unimaginable consequences unless the Afghan central bank is provided with sufficient support to resume its key functions, including the purchase and circulation of banknotes, with appropriate safeguards in place. Unless this happens, we will struggle to respond to this crisis, and the country’s economy will continue to skydive,” said Egeland.

NRC has urged the US and European governments to support banks in allowing the transfer of money into Afghanistan and the aid agencies to withdraw those funds once they reach Afghanistan.