(Bloomberg) -- The Taliban government has banned the use of foreign currency in Afghanistan in a surprise move that could further weigh on an economy struggling with a cash crunch amid widespread hunger. 

The militant group’s spokesman Zabihullah Mujahed said the Afghans should use the local currency in view of the economic situation. Much of Afghanistan’s local trade is done in U.S. dollars. 

The move comes as the Taliban are pushing for the release of billions of dollars of reserves overseas, which were frozen by the U.S. and its Western allies since the group swept into the power in August. Without the reserves, Afghanistan has been effectively shut out of the international financial system. 

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