By Canadian Press

Liberals may take a year to clear Afghanistan aid blockade as senators urge speed

Dec 14, 2022 | 3:12 PM

OTTAWA — A Senate committee is urging the federal government to amend anti-terror laws that are blocking humanitarians from responding to growing desperation in Afghanistan.

But the Liberals say they might not be able to fix the problem until a year after MPs asked for changes.

Ottawa has told humanitarian groups that purchasing goods in Afghanistan or hiring locals would involve paying taxes to the Taliban and could lead to prosecutions for supporting a terrorist group.

MPs asked for a solution this past June, noting that other countries had already amended their laws, but International Development Minister Harjit Sajjan says changes to the Criminal Code might not come until the end of next spring.

Last week, aid groups told the Senate human rights committee that they have goods expiring in warehouses that they cannot access, and midwives they can no longer deploy for rural Afghan women at risk.

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The committee issued a report Wednesday urging Ottawa to issue waivers and amend the Criminal Code as soon as possible.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 14, 2022.

The Canadian Press