ISLAMABAD: A growing number of Afghan citizens are accusing the Taliban of unfairly distributing humanitarian assistance, alleging that aid is being directed primarily to members of the ruling group's own ethnic community and close associates while many vulnerable families remain excluded.
Residents in several parts of Afghanistan say local Taliban officials and community representatives interfere in the aid process, often collecting identification documents from applicants and using them to divert assistance to relatives and supporters, Hasht-e-Subh Daily reported.
According to the report, Umid, a Kabul resident who asked to be identified by a pseudonym for security reasons, said he has been unemployed for years despite completing high school and now earns a meager living driving a rickshaw.
“I studied up to the twelfth grade, but I have not found work,” he said while waiting for passengers on a roadside in the Afghan capital. “Sometimes people give me a piece of bread out of pity, but we have not received any other help.”
Umid said a neighborhood representative gathered residents’ national identity cards and promised monthly food packages and $100 in cash assistance. He said the aid never reached the intended recipients.
“They used our ID cards and took the aid for themselves, dividing it among their tribe and relatives,” he said. “For four years, they have benefited from this assistance while we struggle every day in the summer heat and winter cold just to earn enough money for one meal.”
He called on international aid organizations to strengthen oversight and verify whether assistance is reaching those most in need.
Afghanistan remains heavily dependent on humanitarian aid following years of war, economic collapse and the Taliban’s return to power in August 2021. Millions of Afghans face food insecurity, unemployment and limited access to basic services.
Quoting political analysts, the Afghan media report says several factors hinder the effective delivery of aid, including political interference, weak monitoring systems, insecurity and the complexity of operating in a country where the Taliban exercises strict control over local institutions.
Experts warn that without stronger accountability mechanisms, aid diversion could undermine donor confidence and deepen the hardship facing ordinary Afghans.
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