RASC News Agency: The Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR) has revealed that the U.S. State Department has failed to properly scrutinize aid agencies operating in Taliban-controlled Afghanistan in line with U.S. policies. In its report, SIGAR warned that this lack of oversight could lead to “increased exploitation by extremist groups” of U.S. financial aid in Afghanistan.
SIGAR pointed out that terrorist groups in Afghanistan are poised to benefit from these funds due to inadequate regulation. Reuters reported that SIGAR underscored the importance of the U.S. government knowing exactly who is benefiting from these aid funds to prevent them from being diverted to the Taliban or other sanctioned groups. According to Reuters, the Taliban have attempted to secure U.S. financial aid through various means, including establishing humanitarian organizations.
SIGAR highlighted that the State Department’s Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor, as well as the Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs, have failed to provide adequate documentation to prove their compliance with policy requirements. The report stated: “There is an increasing risk that terrorists, their affiliates, and associated entities may illegally benefit from these funds.”
Reuters noted that the U.S. State Department has agreed with the report’s findings and has committed to conducting a thorough review of its aid programs to Afghanistan. Previous reports have also highlighted that the Taliban have been profiting from humanitarian aid. Local residents and relatives of victims of recent floods have complained that aid did not reach them and was instead misappropriated by the Taliban.
There have been previous instances where the Taliban seized humanitarian aid in Herat and Baghlan, distributing it among their affiliates.
