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SIGAR reports a large percentage of US aid is being diverted to the IEA

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The US Inspector General for the Reconstruction of Afghanistan (SIGAR) John Sopko said Tuesday the Islamic Emirate is diverting or otherwise benefitting from a considerable amount of U.S. assistance.

Testifying at a hearing before the Committee on Foreign Affairs US House of Representatives, Sopko shared how US funds have been provided to or diverted by the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA) since the collapse of the former government in August 2021.

He said: “SIGAR has found that Taliban (IEA) officials routinely pressure US partners to hire Taliban allies, insist that US partners contract with Taliban-affiliated companies, dictate which Afghans should receive US aid, demand payoffs from US partners before a project can begin, divert US food aid to Taliban soldiers, and tax recipients of aid once it is delivered.

“This interference in and diversion of US assistance is worrying and presents multiple risks,” Sopko said.

He stated however, “over the last 12 years, SIGAR documented extensive diversion of US assistance by the prior Karzai and Ghani regimes. Similarly, experts have noted that diversion and interference are common among other autocratic regimes the US government has sought to bypass to get aid directly to vulnerable populations. Nevertheless, the diversion of humanitarian assistance by the Taliban (IEA) is of particular concern given the humanitarian crisis the populace face as well as the Taliban’s terrorist ties.”

“Unlike with the prior Afghan governments, diverted funds now may fund terrorist activities in addition to enriching the pockets of corrupt officials,” he said.

Meanwhile in his opening speech to the House, at the same hearing, Michael McCaul, Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, criticized the Biden administration for its policies on Afghanistan and said there had been no plans in place to support the Afghan people nor to secure enduring peace post withdrawal.

He called the IEA “terrorists” who “oppress” the Afghan people, adding that “they steal humanitarian aid from starving Afghans.”

He also criticized the IEA for the edicts against women and girls.

“What troubles me is that the Biden administration is pursuing a policy of engagement at all costs and has failed to hold the Taliban (IEA) to account for their crimes.

“The Biden administration meet with the Taliban (IEA) frequently, praise the Taliban often, and haphazardly send billions of tax-payers dollars to Afghanistan.

“Through these policies the Biden administration has all but recognized the Taliban as the legitimate government of Afghanistan.

He also claimed the IEA had equipped the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) with weapons left behind by the US, and that the TTP is “increasingly conducting terrorist attacks while al-Qaeda remains”safely in Afghanistan under Taliban (IEA) protection.”

However, the Islamic Emirate rejected Sopko’s statements that the IEA is either benefiting or diverting US aid and said the claims were baseless.

“America and Western countries do not cooperate with and help the Islamic Emirate, and regarding the [special] inspector general of the United States of America for the reconstruction of Afghanistan that you mentioned, neither does it have any official office in Afghanistan, nor does it coordinate with the officials of the Islamic Emirate, so neither their statements nor their claims have any validity,” said Bilal Karimi, the IEA’s Deputy Spokesman.

The Islamic Emirate also rejected McCaul’s statements on the the IEA having close ties with terrorist groups including the TTP and al-Qaeda and said officials do not have any documents nor evidence to prove their statements, and that the claims were merely propaganda.

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Needy families in Nangarhar receive Ramadan aid from Bayat Foundation

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On the occasion of Ramadan, Bayat Foundation delivered food aid to dozens of needy families in Afghanistan’s eastern province of Nangarhar this week.

The organization’s officials said that the aid packages include flour, rice, and cooking oil, which was distributed to the needy after a transparent assessment.

“Bayat Foundation helps thousands of families across Afghanistan every year. Fortunately, today this Ramadan aid was distributed to hundreds of families in Jalalabad. This aid includes flour, rice, and cooking oil,” Attaullah Sahil, a representative of Bayat Foundation in Nangarhar, said.

Appreciating Bayat Foundation’s assistance, officials of the Nangarhar Department of Economy called on other charities to help the needy during the holy month of Ramadan.

“These families are very deserving families who were selected after conducting a survey in the presence of representatives of the Department of Economy and Bayat Foundation. All families are deserving, and they include widows, the disabled and the poor,” Mohammad Asif Rahmani, a representative of the Nangarhar Department of Economy, said.

Recipients welcomed the Ramadan aid from Bayat Foundation, saying that those in need require more help.

Haider, an aid recipient, said: “We are very poor people. There are no job opportunities. Thank you very much to Bayat Foundation for helping us.”

Mohammad Zaman, another aid recipient, said: “During this Ramadan, I was facing difficulties. I could not find sustenance. Bayat Foundation helped us. May God help it.”

Bayat Foundation has helped the needy not only during the holy month of Ramadan, but also during natural disasters, and has continued to cooperate with government institutions in various sectors, especially health and education.

 

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IEA controls power in Afghanistan, security prevails: Araqchi

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Iran’s foreign minister, Abbas Araqchi, has said that the Islamic Emirate controls power in Afghanistan and security prevails across the country.

Speaking in an interview with Khabar Online, Araqchi said that before the Islamic Emirate took over, different parts of Afghanistan would be governed by different groups.

“The reality is that now there is a power in Afghanistan that has consolidated its rule over the past three and a half years, and unlike in the past, when every corner of Afghanistan was in the hands of different people, this is not the case now. Security and rule prevail. We must address the issues and resolve them for our national interests,” Araqchi said.

The Islamic Emirate welcomed the remarks saying that it indicates an understanding of the realities in Afghanistan.

“This actually means a correct understanding of the realities in Afghanistan. It is a fact that there is a single political governance in Afghanistan that has complete control over Afghanistan,” Hamdullah Fitrat, deputy spokesman for the Islamic Emirate, said.

Araqchi also added in his interview that there are issues in Afghanistan that are related to Iran’s national interests, so he traveled to Kabul to discuss them with the officials of the Islamic Emirate.

He mentioned water rights, presence of Afghan refugees in Iran and Daesh as issues that need to be discussed between the officials of the two countries.

The Iranian diplomat said that Tehran, like other countries, has not recognized the Islamic Emirate, but despite sanctions, trade is taking place between the two countries in high volumes.

Separately, Deputy Prime Minister for Administrative Affairs, Abdulsalam Hanafi, said in a meeting with the acting ambassador of Afghanistan to Iran recently that Afghanistan and Iran have long-standing religious, historical, cultural and economic relations, and the embassy officials should make every effort to strengthen them.

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Uzbekistan sends essential food aid to Afghanistan

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Marking the new solar year, 1404, and the holy month of Ramadan, Uzbekistan this week delivered almost 200 tons of food aid to Afghanistan via Balkh province.

This is in line with Uzbekistan President Shavkat Mirziyoyev’s directive that humanitarian aid be sent to Afghanistan, Kun.uz reported.

The essential food items were handed over in Hairatan border town in a ceremony attended by Uzbekistan’s Special Representative for Afghanistan Ismatulla Irgashev; Surkhandarya governor Ulugbek Kosimov; representatives from relevant ministries; Balkh provincial governor Muhammad Yusuf Vafo; and other officials from both countries.

The aid package consists of flour, wheat, pasta, vegetable oil, sugar, instant meals, red beans, and mung beans.

Additionally, a bilateral meeting was held in Mazar-e-Sharif, where discussions focused on advancing future cooperation. During the talks, special attention was given to the construction of the Imam Bukhari Mausoleum in Afghanistan, a project supported by Uzbekistan.

Afghan officials expressed gratitude to the president and people of Uzbekistan for their assistance, Akipress reported.

At the end of December, Uzbekistan sent humanitarian aid containing food and medicine to Afghanistan, as well as a “health train”.

Uzbek doctors conducted free medical examinations of the population in Balkh province between December 25 and December 30.

 

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