Did Taliban divert international aid? US watchdog blames Afghanistan rulers of using force; blocking assistance to minorities

Afghanistan’s Taliban authorities are reportedly diverting international aid through coercion and other methods, denying assistance to minority communities, and may be working with UN officials to solicit kickbacks, a US watchdog reported on Tuesday.

The findings, from the US Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR), are based on accounts from nearly 90 current and former US and UN officials, as well as other sources.


"In Afghanistan, SIGAR found that the Taliban use every means at their disposal, including force, to ensure that aid goes where they want it to go, as opposed to where donors intend," the report said, as per Reuters.

SIGAR reported that an Afghan aid worker who contributed to the report was killed after revealing that food aid was diverted to a Taliban military training camp, but it could not confirm who was behind the killing, as per Reuters.

Taliban spokesman Hamdullah Fitrat rejected the allegations, saying that government agencies work together to “ensure transparency” and prevent any diversion, noting that aid in Afghanistan is distributed independently.

The report claimed that the Taliban makes use of force and other regulatory measures to exert control over aid flow in the country. They also reportedly decide which humanitarian groups are allowed to operate, channeling US-funded assistance to the favored majority Pashtun communities over minority groups, and extorting humanitarian workers.

Interviewees alleged that UN officials solicited bribes from companies and aid groups in exchange for contracts, and that Taliban officials allegedly "collude with UN officials to extort bribes from UN contractors and then split the proceeds," said the report, as per Reuters.

Between August 2021, when the Taliban seized power, and April 2025, when the Trump administration cut most US assistance, international donors contributed $10.72 billion in aid to Afghanistan, including $3.83 billion from the United States, the report said.