WASHINGTON, Aug 14 — Afghanistan’s Taliban rulers divert international aid by force and other means, block minority communities from receiving aid and may collude with UN officials to seek kickbacks, a US watchdog said on Tuesday.
The US Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR) said its findings were based on input from nearly 90 current and former US officials, UN officials and others.
The sources included Afghans in Afghanistan, the report said.
“In Afghanistan, SIGAR found that the Taliban use every means at their disposal, including force, to ensure that aid goes where they want it to go, as opposed to where donors intend,” the report said.
Taliban spokesman Hamdullah Fitrat denied the allegations. He said international aid is distributed independently in Afghanistan and government agencies cooperate “to ensure transparency” and prevent diversion.
SIGAR said an employee of an Afghan aid organisation who participated in the report was killed for exposing the diversion of food aid to a Taliban military training camp. But it could not confirm who was responsible.
The UN did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Reuters could not independently confirm the charges.
International donors provided US$10.72 billion (RM45 billion) in aid, including US$3.83 billion by the United States, between August 2021 when the Taliban took over Afghanistan and April 2025 when the Trump administration ended most US aid, the report said.
The report said the Taliban used force and regulatory powers among other means to control aid. This included determining which humanitarian groups can operate, directing US-funded aid to favored majority Pashtun communities at the expense of minorities and extorting humanitarian workers.
SIGAR also heard from interviewees allegations that UN officials demanded bribes from companies and aid groups for UN contracts, the report said.
Taliban officials allegedly “collude with UN officials to extort bribes from UN contractors and then split the proceeds,” the report said. — Reuters
