Kabul

The US Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR) has identified Taliban interference in humanitarian aid as a significant obstacle in the distribution of aid to the Afghan people in need.

SIGAR’s quarterly report to the US Congress revealed 110 access incidents related to Taliban interference in April 2023 alone. The report also highlighted the lack of independence from the Taliban regime and anti-money laundering and anti-terrorism policies on Da Afghanistan Bank (DAB), the central bank of Afghanistan. The Taliban has denied all claims and denied any interference in the aid delivery process in Afghanistan.

Economist Mir Shiqib Mir has reported that many countries are cutting their aid to Afghanistan due to rumours of Taliban interference in aid distribution. However, the Taliban has refuted the SIGAR report, stating that there is no interference from the Islamic Emirate in aid distribution. The sudden stoppage of aid led to a severe liquidity crisis, and urgently needed food and medicine imports could not be funded.

The Afghan government fell on August 15, 2021, leading to the Taliban taking over the country. The rapid rise to power of the Taliban has led to economic chaos and a severe humanitarian crisis in the country. Since the takeover, girls have been banned from attending schools beyond grade six and women from attending universities. The ban on girls’ education has been criticized by regional and international communities and the people of Afghanistan, but the Taliban has not lifted it.