KABUL, AFGHANISTAN – The US Department of State has confirmed it has suspended financial assistance to WFP programs in Afghanistan, citing concerns that the aid was being diverted to benefit the Taliban.
In a press briefing on Tuesday, Tammy Bruce, spokesperson for the department, said that longstanding concerns surrounding UN funding had prompted the decision to suspend aid to prevent misuse by the Taliban.
“The largest group of WFP awards terminated were in Yemen and Afghanistan through an executive order issued due to concerns that the funding was benefiting terrorist groups, including the Houthis and the Taliban,” Bruce said.
She noted that USAID has “intermittently” paused food assistance in Afghanistan through the World Food Program until it can ensure the aid reaches the intended recipients.
Bruce referred to a report from the US Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR) last year, which revealed that at least $11 million in US funds had been diverted to the Taliban during the aid distribution process.
According to the report, 38 out of 65 U.S. implementing partners in Afghanistan had reported making payments in the form of taxes, fees, duties, and utilities to the Taliban government, allowing the group to benefit financially from humanitarian aid.
Additionally, John Sopko, former head of SIGAR, said in an interview last year that the majority of UN cash shipments in Afghanistan ultimately end up in the hands of the Taliban. “It’s going to a terrorist group. The Taliban are a bunch of terrorists,” Sopko said.
Although the US ended its diplomatic and military presence in Afghanistan in August 2021, it has remained the largest donor to the country, contributing over $3.3 billion in humanitarian and development aid since the withdrawal.
However, concerns over Taliban infiltration and misuse of these funds have been repeatedly raised by U.S. lawmakers, Taliban opposition groups, and activists, many of whom have called for a suspension of aid until the funds can be properly accounted for and directed to the people of Afghanistan.
The suspension comes amid a deepening humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan, with nearly half the population—around 23 million people—dependent on international aid. The WFP has projected that 3.5 million children in Afghanistan will suffer from malnutrition this year, equating to one child every ten seconds.
Earlier, the WFP warned that the suspension of U.S. food aid to countries like Afghanistan “could amount to a death sentence for millions facing extreme hunger and starvation.”
