Taliban Acting Economy Minister Urges UN to Shift Aid Focus from Humanitarian to Development Projects in Afghanistan
The acting Economy Minister of the Taliban administration has called on the United Nations to change the allocation of aid to Afghanistan from focusing solely on humanitarian programs to development projects and job creation opportunities. This request comes amid a significant decline in development aid to Afghanistan since 2021.
The Taliban’s Ministry of Economy stated in a press release that this issue was raised during a meeting between Din Muhammad Hanif and Bruno Lemarquee, the UN’s Special Representative for Development and Humanitarian Coordination in Afghanistan. According to the ministry, the two sides discussed economic, infrastructure, and humanitarian cooperation.
The acting Economy Minister claimed that Afghanistan still faces widespread poverty, unemployment, lack of economic infrastructure, consecutive droughts, climate change, and challenges stemming from the return of refugees, making continued support from the international community necessary. He emphasized that focusing on agricultural development, water resource management, expanding energy access, and technical training could reduce the country’s economic dependence.
Since the Taliban regained power in August 2021, the majority of development aid from donor countries has been halted, with the remaining aid mainly distributed through UN humanitarian agencies. Donor countries have conditioned the resumption of economic and development cooperation on changes in Taliban policies, including respect for human rights and lifting restrictions on women and girls — conditions the Taliban administration regards as interference in Afghanistan’s internal affairs.
