Faisal Khamoosh, spokesperson for the Taliban’s Ministry of Martyrs and Disabled Affairs, announced that since the group’s return to power in August 2021, around 650,000 differently-abled individuals, orphans, and widowed women in need have been registered.
Speaking to Taliban-run Radio Television Afghanistan (RTA), Khamoosh said the registration process for these groups is expected to conclude by the end of March 2026.
The ministry accused the previous Afghan government of enrolling thousands of “fictitious” individuals as disabled or widowed, claiming these have now been removed from the list of beneficiaries. Some families of former Afghan government military personnel previously told Afghanistan International that their monthly financial aid from the ministry was halted after the Taliban’s takeover.
In November 2024, the Taliban’s Ministry of Martyrs reported distributing 10.17 billion Afghanis to orphans, disabled individuals, and widows. However, it remains unclear whether this aid extends to families of security forces or victims of suicide attacks from the prior administration.
On Tuesday, Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid told RTA that since seizing power, the group has prioritised support for families of its suicide attackers. He revealed that 12 billion Afghanis—equivalent to the budget of two or three ministries—had been allocated through the Ministry of Martyrs and Disabled to assist the orphans and widows of these fighters.
