Kabul:
In a recent report, the Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR) highlighted that millions of dollars have been transferred to Afghanistan in various shipments over the past three months.
SIGAR said each shipment was worth an average of US$80 million and was delivered to Kabul within 10 to 14 days, with the proceeds held in private banks in UN accounts, TOLOnews reported.
“The State Department told SIGAR in the last quarter of the year that UN cash shipments — averaging $80 million each — were arriving in Kabul every 10 to 14 days. According to UNAMA, all funds are deposited “The cash is kept in designated UN accounts in private banks, and no cash is deposited in central banks or provided to the Taliban,” SIGAR said in its report.
Meanwhile, the United Nations Development Program indicated in its latest report that about 69% of Afghans lack sufficient resources to meet their basic needs.
According to the research, Afghanistan’s economy has shrunk by 27 percent since 2020, and 7 out of 10 Afghans are unable to meet their basic needs for food, health care and work.
However, the Taliban said that aid funds delivered to Kabul through the United Nations are spent on education, health and development projects, and the Taliban is only assessing the progress of the activities of relief organizations, according to Tolo News.
Tolo News website quoted Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid as saying, “The aid provided by countries is implemented through international institutions in Kabul, and this money is available to them, and the Islamic Emirate does not benefit from these funds.”
However, some economic analysts believe that the international community’s support for the Afghan people is beneficial for Afghanistan, as these monetary packages will help achieve financial stability and economic growth in the impoverished country.
The humanitarian situation in Afghanistan has worsened since the collapse of the Afghan government and the return of the Taliban to power in August 2021.
The Ukrainian crisis has had a massive impact on rising food costs, effectively putting basic items beyond the reach of the common man.
Although sectarian conflict in the country has subsided, serious human rights violations continue unabated, especially against women and minorities.
Women and girls in Afghanistan are facing the brunt of the prevailing humanitarian crisis, as they are denied their basic rights to non-discrimination, education, work, public participation and health, Khama Press reported.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)