RASC News Agency: Residents of western Afghan provinces confirm that foreign aid flowing into Afghanistan does not reach the people, as the Taliban misappropriate most of it. Sources from Herat province told RASC News Agency today, Sunday, April 28, “The Taliban do not involve local elders in the distribution process, leaving people unaware of when aid will be distributed.”
According to the source, the aid includes both cash and non-cash assistance, which the Taliban allocate to specific individuals in designated areas. The source added that over 80% of the aid is distributed among Afghan/Pashtun communities, leaving other ethnic groups in Afghanistan without access to these resources. The source mentioned that the areas where most of this aid is distributed include Martyrs’ Streets, Dasht-e Hoz, and Takht-e Safar streets.
Meanwhile, sources from Badghis province told RASC News Agency that several organizations in the province focus on assisting migrants and internally displaced persons, occasionally providing cash and non-cash aid to families. The source explained that the Taliban, who oversee and control the aid distribution process, show little interest in providing aid to non-Afghan/Pashtun individuals when they discover their ethnicity.
The source noted that this issue is not limited to Badghis province but is observed across many different regions of Afghanistan. Similarly, residents of Ghor province in western Afghanistan confirm that out of 1,000 Tajik, Uzbek, and Hazara families, aid is distributed to only 10 to 20 families. One resident of Ghor, speaking anonymously to RASC News Agency, said, “The Taliban do not want foreign aid distributed to non-Afghan/Pashtun households.”
According to him, residents of Ghor have repeatedly requested more aid from the Taliban authorities, who in turn encourage them to wait for future aid deliveries. Another resident of Nimroz province told RASC News Agency that 55% of the province’s population is deprived of receiving aid from relief organizations.
Ehsas Karimi, a resident of Nimroz, told RASC News Agency that the Taliban play a significant role in the distribution of domestic and foreign aid, ensuring they know what percentage of aid reaches the people. Karimi added that the Taliban’s involvement surpasses that of aid organization officials in Nimroz province, making the positions of foreign aid organization heads largely symbolic.
The Taliban have stated that they are distributing domestic and foreign aid fairly to the people of western Afghanistan. However, local residents describe the Taliban’s misappropriation and biased distribution of aid.
