His government Canada announced yesterday Thursday the upcoming amendment of the country’s legislation in order to allow the grant again humanitarian aid to those who need it in Afghanistanwhich was halted after the Sunni fundamentalist Taliban militant movement retook power in the Southeast Asian country.

In 2013, Ottawa placed the Taliban on its list of terrorist entities, which meant that individuals and entities doing business with them were at risk of criminal prosecution.

But eight years later, in August 2021, the fundamentalist movement regained power in Afghanistan.

Humanitarian organizations and other agencies were then warned that they would risk prosecution for violating Canadian law if they continued to provide aid to Canadian citizens.

For example, payroll taxes collected by the Taliban from the salaries of local employees of foreign NGOs amount, under Canadian law, to their illegal financing.

Canadian non-governmental organizations and agencies have suspended all activity in Afghanistan.

However, draft legislation introduced by the government, but pending approval by Canada’s parliament, would exempt aid workers from helping people in crisis in an “area controlled by a terrorist organization” without risking be prosecuted in Canada.

This change “will allow Canadian organizations to provide much-needed assistance while maintaining our laws and measures to protect us from terrorism,” the Department of Public Safety explained in a statement.

The amendment to the legislation will allow humanitarian aid, health services, education services, help to relocate people and even the creation of programs to “enable people to secure a living”.

The Canadian state continued to provide humanitarian aid to Afghanistan indirectly, through its contributions to the UN.