Two State Department bureaus failed to provide evidence of compliance with internal policies for vetting aid groups in Taliban-ruled Afghanistan, which received $293 million in funds, posing a risk that extremists may have benefited, according to a report by a US watchdog released on Wednesday.
The Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR) report emphasized the importance of the State Department knowing who exactly benefits from the aid to prevent it from being diverted to the Taliban or other sanctioned entities. The report highlighted attempts by the Taliban to access US aid funds through various methods, including setting up humanitarian organizations, stressing the need for consistent risk assessment of implementing partners by the department.
The State Department did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the findings.
SIGAR’s findings revealed that while three out of five State Department bureaus were found compliant with regulations requiring vetting of aid recipients, the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor, and the Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs lacked sufficient documentation to prove their adherence.
The report stated that the State Department could not demonstrate compliance with vetting requirements for awards totaling at least $293 million in Afghanistan, increasing the risk of illegal benefit to terrorists and their affiliates.
The department acknowledged the report’s conclusions and committed to ensuring compliance with vetting requirements going forward.
Despite the withdrawal of US troops from Afghanistan on August 30, 2021, after two decades of conflict with Islamist militants culminated in the Taliban’s takeover of Kabul, the US remains the largest aid donor to Afghanistan. Since then, Washington has provided over $17.9 billion in assistance to the impoverished country.
