RASC News Agency: The United States Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR), in its 65th quarterly report, revealed that the United States will allocate $885 million in aid to Afghanistan by the end of fiscal year 2024. However, the report offers no indication as to whether this financial support will extend beyond this period. This development has sparked concerns that should Donald Trump return to the White House, U.S. aid to Afghanistan now under Taliban governance might face significant reductions or a complete halt.
Despite the U.S. military withdrawal from Afghanistan in August 2021, SIGAR reports that the United States continues to be Afghanistan’s principal donor, having contributed $21.06 billion toward assistance for both Afghanistan and Afghan refugees. This post-withdrawal funding breakdown includes $3.33 billion for humanitarian and development purposes, $3.5 billion for the Afghanistan Humanitarian Fund, $8.7 billion for “Operation Allies Welcome,” and $5.53 billion allocated to additional support efforts.
The report further highlights that approximately $2.43 billion of the $3.33 billion in humanitarian assistance was disbursed to Afghanistan by the close of 2021, representing 73% of the U.S. humanitarian budget dedicated to the country. Of this, $469 million equating to 14% of the total humanitarian aid has been directed towards essential development projects within Afghanistan.
