A new blog published by our colleagues at United Muslim Relief outlines the impact that bank derisking is having on humanitarian aid delivery. In “Humanitarian Aid Threatened by Bank Derisking,” the authors explain that many banks avoid liability under federal counter-terrorism financing regulations by dropping any client doing work in areas deemed “high risk.” This practice “hinders and endangers the work of disaster relief organizations and other NPOs,” the article states.
Many organizations have struggled to maintain their work in conflict-ridden areas “because financial institutions have closed their accounts with little to no warning and, oftentimes, cancel transactions that are time-sensitive,” the article explains. While banks undergo a risk-benefit calculation to determine whether to retain an account, the human lives at risk are not considered.
Read the full blog here.