Taliban May Have Profited From $293 Million of US Aid, Reports SIGAR

The US Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR) announced that the US State Department has failed to review the activities of organisations that spent $293 million in US aid in Afghanistan.

SIGAR suggested that the Taliban might have benefited from this situation.

In its latest report, SIGAR emphasised on the importance of the government knowing who is benefiting from the aid to prevent it from being diverted to the Taliban and other sanctioned parties.

The report added that the Taliban has attempted to obtain US aid through various methods, including establishing humanitarian organisations.

According to SIGAR, this indicates that the State Department needs to conduct comprehensive and continuous assessments of the risks faced by its implementing partners.

According to Reuters, the State Department has not yet responded to a request for comment on this matter.

SIGAR's report also highlighted that three out of five State Department offices reviewed the activities of aid-receiving organizations in compliance with internal regulations.

However, it noted that the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labour, along with the Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs, failed to obtain sufficient documentation regarding the use of this aid in Afghanistan.

SIGAR added that the government has been unable to conduct necessary evaluations for at least $293 million allocated for aid in Afghanistan.

This organisation warned that the situation increases the risk of terrorist groups and their affiliates exploiting these funds.

SIGAR stated that the State Department agrees with the report's conclusions and is working to ensure that necessary evaluations are conducted.

According to Reuters, the US has provided over $17.9 billion in aid to Afghanistan since the withdrawal on August 30, 2021.