United Nations: The United Nations (UN) has decided to relax financial freeze imposed on some 200 people suspected to have links with al-Qaida and Taleban to enable them to pay rent, utilities bills, insurances and meet essential needs, including food.

A resolution to this effect was adopted unanimously on December 20 in the UN security council on humanitarian grounds after several individuals reported that they face extreme hardship because of freeze of their financial resources.

The council constantly updates the list of such organisations and individuals whose finances the states are expected to freeze. Currently, the list has 324 names, including 232 individuals and 92 groups.

The resolution said these measures do not apply to funds and other financial assets or economic resources that have been determined by states to be "necessary for basic expenses, including payments for foodstuffs, rent or mortgage, medicines and medical treatment, taxes, insurance premiums, and public utility charges".

Also exempted are funds "exclusively for payment of reasonable professional fees and reimbursement of incurred expenses associated with the provision of legal services, or fees or service charges for routine holding or maintenance" of the frozen resources, as well as funds "necessary for extraordinary expenses".

But the member states must notify the Security Council committee monitoring the sanctions of any plans to exempt funds. Access can then be authorized "in the absence of a negative decision by the committee within 48 hours of such notification".

PTI