The US State Department confirmed to the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR) that it dispatches $80 million in cash to Taliban-controlled Afghanistan every 10-14 days.
This is despite the fact that the Taliban has refrained from publicly disclosing the receipt of these USD 40 million packages since mid 2023, in order to avoid criticism.
In a report released on Friday, SIGAR cited information from the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA), revealing that the funds are deposited into a designated account at a private bank under the auspices of the United Nations. According to UNAMA, these funds do not flow into the central bank, which is under the Taliban's control.
However, critics say that the Taliban maintains involvement in the allocation and utilisation of these funds.
Michael Rubin, the senior researcher of the American Enterprise Institute, recently compared the situation in Afghanistan under Taliban control to North Korea, where it is difficult for institutions, including banks, to act independently.
In July 2023, a reliable source in the Taliban-controlled Central Bank of Afghanistan confirmed to Afghanistan International that USD 40 million humanitarian aid packages are being sent to Kabul, but the Taliban are no longer reporting it to the media.
The Central Bank of Afghanistan, under Taliban control, last publicly disclosed on May 14, 2023, that a humanitarian aid package worth USD 40 million had been delivered to Kabul.
The source further emphasised that foreign organisations and aid groups continue to channel the necessary funds into Afghanistan, and there has been no change in the process.
