Taliban Announces Distribution of Nine Billion Afghanis in Aid to Vulnerable Groups
The Taliban administration says it has distributed approximately nine billion Afghanis in aid over the past five months to people with disabilities, orphans, and female-headed households. The announcement was reported on Sunday, November 1, by Bakhtar News Agency, which operates under the Taliban government.
According to the Bakhtar report, the aid distribution is ongoing, and charitable organizations have contributed an additional ten million dollars to support vulnerable groups during this period. However, the Taliban-controlled Ministry of Martyrs and Disabled has not provided any transparency regarding the sources of funding, methods of distribution, or oversight of how the funds are being used.
The Taliban also claims that it has so far registered 694,000 individuals as “eligible recipients” in the data collection system of the Ministry of Martyrs and Disabled. Yet, it remains unclear what criteria were used to compile this list and what measures are in place to prevent fraud and corruption in the aid distribution process.
The lack of transparency surrounding the aid budget and the absence of a credible accountability system within the Taliban administration have raised concerns among residents and oversight bodies. In the absence of independent monitoring institutions, suspicions of financial misappropriation are growing.
