Taliban–Uzbekistan Trade Tops $1.7 Billion In 2025

Republican Senator Rand Paul said that if the bill becomes law, $631 million allocated for Afghanistan’s reconstruction would be returned to the US Treasury. Paul said US resources should be used to defend the country, adding that the bill, titled No Taxpayer Dollars for Terrorists, would cut funding to what he described as failed missions abroad and refocus policy on national security and taxpayers.

He said no country or non-governmental organisation that sustains the Taliban should receive US taxpayer money. “America must not bankroll those who side with our enemies,” Paul said.

After the bill’s approval on Thursday, Paul wrote on X that the legislation would end what he called Washington’s blind commitment to resettling Afghans without adequate safeguards. He cited the killing of a National Guard member by a militant who entered the United States through a resettlement programme, saying security must be prioritised.

Paul said US foreign aid had for too long meant spending without accountability and added that the bill would ensure taxpayers’ money does not fuel corruption or terrorism overseas.

In a statement, Senator Jim Risch, the committee’s chairman, said the measure would ensure that no US taxpayer funds go to what he described as terrorist organisations in Afghanistan, including the Taliban.

Rep. Tim Burchett, a key sponsor of the legislation, said it would soon be brought to the Senate floor for a vote. Republicans will need Democratic support for the measure to pass.

Democrats have previously opposed a complete cut-off of aid to Afghanistan, and it remains unclear how much support the Republican-led bill will receive in the full Senate.

The Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction has reported that the United States has provided more than $3.83 billion in humanitarian and development assistance to Afghanistan since the Taliban returned to power in August 2021.

Akbari, who also serves as a school principal, was detained last week in Ghazni city, the sources said.

Informed sources said the Taliban have not allowed his family to visit him since his arrest on January 18, and no further information has been released about his condition or whereabouts.

Relatives told Afghanistan International that Akbari was initially detained on suspicion of possessing military equipment linked to a former local commander, but the allegation was not substantiated during investigations.

According to a source close to him, the Taliban later held the cleric on accusations of document forgery at the school where he works as principal.

In a statement issued Thursday, the court said the sentences ranging from 15 to 39 lashes and prison terms of seven months to two years were carried out on Wednesday, January 28. It did not provide details on how the punishments were implemented.

The Taliban authorities regularly carry out floggings, often in public.

Over the past 10 days, the Taliban have flogged 87 people across Afghanistan, including women, on various charges, according to official statements.

Despite opposition from international organisations to corporal punishment and the torture of detainees, the Taliban has continued public floggings.

The project is aimed at strengthening food security and restoring agricultural livelihoods for more than one million vulnerable people.

In a statement, FAO said the two-year programme would support more than 151,000 families, including returnees from Pakistan and Iran, host communities and households affected by recent earthquakes and floods.

Repeated natural disasters have destroyed crops, livestock and irrigation infrastructure, while large-scale returns of migrants from neighbouring countries have placed additional pressure on already vulnerable communities, the agency said.

The project seeks to mitigate the impact of successive climate-related crises by restoring rural livelihoods, protecting livestock and rebuilding agricultural production systems.

FAO said agriculture remains the backbone of Afghanistan’s rural economy, but low productivity, limited access to equipment, damage to irrigation systems and mass migrant returns have put severe strain on the sector.

While emergency assistance in recent years has helped prevent a broader spread of food insecurity, projections indicate that more than 17 million people in Afghanistan will face acute food insecurity in 2026. Of those, 4.7 million are expected to be in an emergency phase marked by major food consumption gaps and high levels of acute malnutrition.

FAO assessments indicate that continued drought, bringing below-average rainfall and above-average temperatures until early 2026, could further increase risks.

The initiative, centred on climate-smart and community-focused solutions, aims to boost agricultural production, improve food and nutrition security and diversify rural livelihoods. Female-headed households and provinces most affected by climate and economic shocks are being prioritised.

The Asian Development Bank said it has provided about $265 million in grants through FAO since 2022 to support Afghanistan’s agricultural sector. More than 5.6 million people have benefited from agricultural and food assistance under the partnership, it said.

Penny Wong wrote Thursday that Canberra is pursuing legal avenues with partners over what she described as the ongoing breach of the convention in Taliban-controlled Afghanistan. She said Afghans are enduring one of the world’s worst protracted humanitarian crises.

Last year, Australia, Canada, Germany and the Netherlands jointly announced plans to take the Taliban to the International Court of Justice in The Hague over alleged widespread human rights violations. The United Nations and more than 20 countries have expressed support for the move.

The development comes as the International Criminal Court has issued arrest warrants for the Taliban’s leader and the head of its supreme court over alleged human rights abuses and crimes against humanity.

$50m Allocation

Australia’s foreign ministry said it had allocated an additional $50 million to help address the worsening situation in Afghanistan.

In a statement, the ministry said the aid would focus on support for women and girls, food security, health care services and the protection of human dignity. It said Australia would work through UN agencies to ensure the assistance reaches people in need rather than Taliban authorities.

The ministry said Taliban restrictions on women and girls including limits on access to employment, health care, education and public life have had a disproportionate impact.

Since the collapse of the former Afghan government and the Taliban’s return to power, Australia has provided $310 million in assistance, according to the statement.

Australia says the humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan has been worsened by the Taliban’s failure to provide basic services to the population.