RASC News Agency: In its latest report, the U.S. Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR) has described cash transfers to Afghanistan as the only lifeline that prevented the country’s total economic downfall. The report outlines the severe challenges stemming from the disruption of international banking transfers and a liquidity crisis that gripped Afghanistan following the Taliban’s return to power. Consequently, the United Nations was forced to deliver cash to Afghanistan through physical means.
According to SIGAR, there was no alternative but to send cash, as without it, Afghanistan’s economy would have completely disintegrated. The report further notes that these cash transfers have inadvertently benefited the Taliban regime. Although officials of the Islamic Emirate have persistently denied any involvement in the distribution of these funds, SIGAR indicates that the Taliban have used some of this aid for their own purposes.
In response to the report, the Islamic Emirate’s Ministry of Economy dismissed SIGAR’s assessment, deeming it unrealistic and disconnected from the actual situation. Abdul Rahman Habib, spokesperson for the Ministry of Economy, remarked, “The Ministry considers SIGAR’s negative portrayal of Afghanistan’s economic status as a misrepresentation of the reality on the ground.”
Previous reports have also alleged that the Taliban have diverted portions of international aid sent to Afghanistan for their own gain, including distributing relief supplies among their members. Investigative organizations and global media have accused the Taliban of siphoning off aid, exploiting relief efforts, and appropriating donations intended for humanitarian purposes, often channeling such resources to their inner circles across various regions of the country.
