Abdul Rahman Habib, spokesperson for the Taliban’s Ministry of Economy, has claimed that more than 2,600 national and international organisations are registered with the ministry, with 820 of them currently active across Afghanistan.
According to Habib, 280 of the active organisations are international.
Speaking in an interview with Taliban-controlled Radio Television Afghanistan (RTA), Habib said these organisations operate in all 34 provinces of Afghanistan, working in sectors including healthcare, education, social services and economic development.
The Taliban’s announcement comes despite earlier reports suggesting a growing crackdown on foreign organisations. In December last year, sources told Afghanistan International that Taliban leader Mullah Hibatullah, during a meeting in Kandahar, labelled foreign organisations in Afghanistan as “spies” and called for their closure.
Although that directive has not yet been fully implemented, hundreds of domestic and international organisations have ceased operations since the Taliban returned to power, citing funding cuts and restrictions imposed by the group.
In January, a deputy from the Taliban’s Ministry of Economy said that following the suspension of US aid to Afghanistan, the activities of at least 50 international aid organisations across 28 provinces had ended.
The Taliban has also imposed a range of restrictions on the operations of both domestic and international organisations, repeatedly ordering them to align their activities with the group’s directives.
There have been numerous reports of Taliban interference in the work of these organisations, allegations the group denies.
The increasing restrictions have forced some organisations to suspend or shut down their operations entirely.
