New Delhi, Oct 20 (IANS): The US is still holding its previous stance on the Taliban and said that they will not release nearly ten billion dollars of Afghanistan now frozen in the US banks, Khaama Press reported.

US's deputy minister of Finance Wally Adeyemo said that it is important to keep pressure on the Taliban, but added that the people of Afghanistan should not be harmed.

Adeyemo said that new means must be sought in order to provide Afghan people with humanitarian aid.

"We will not let the Taliban access the money in an ongoing situation. We will continue to assert our restrictions on Haqqani network and the Taliban, but will continue humanitarian aid to Afghan people," said Adeyemo to senators.

He said that the US is committed to providing Afghans with humanitarian aid, but reiterated that the Taliban must facilitate the distribution process.

The Taliban have used a number of diplomatic channels to release the frozen assets, but none has succeeded yet.

Taliban have demanded the US to release the money and 'not to violate human rights as the money belongs to the people of Afghanistan not to any government'.

The International Monetary Fund in its latest regional economic report said that the freeze of Afghanistan's assets along with the stoppage of foreign aid will lead to a 30 per cent shrink in the economy of the country which will cause a humanitarian crisis.