Biden plans to use $7 billion in Afghan funds for humanitarian relief, 9/11 compensation

President Joe Biden signed an executive order setting in motion a plan to split $7 billion in Afghan government funds between relief and 9/11 victims compensation.

President Joe Biden signed an executive order Friday setting in motion a plan to make $7 billion in Afghan funds held in the United States available to compensate victims of the Sept. 11 attacks, and to provide humanitarian relief and other support to the Afghan people dealing with crushing hunger, according to senior Biden administration officials.

The funds were deposited by Afghanistan's central bank in the United States before the Taliban took over last year and have since been made unavailable to the Taliban. Much of the money comes from U.S. and other international donations over the past 20 years, according to the official.

The U.S. has struggled to determine how to provide aid to the Afghan people without money going to the Taliban.

Biden's order would freeze the funds and set aside more than $3.5 billion for American victims of terrorism who are pursuing litigation against the Taliban, according to the officials. The money would be available to them pending the outcomes of their litigation, the officials said.