U.S. authorizes certain transactions with Taliban to ease flow of aid to Afghanistan

A boy pushes a man's wheelchair on a street in Kabul, Afghanistan, October 22, 2021. REUTERS/Jorge Silva

(Clarifies that it is unclear if new U.S. license exempts proposed U.N. payments to Taliban for security)

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States on Wednesday formally exempted U.S. and U.N. officials doing official business with the Taliban from U.S. sanctions in a decision aimed at easing the flow of aid to Afghanistan as it sinks deeper into a humanitarian crisis.