Afghanistan gets $80 million in 2 weeks as economy shrinks: Report

Kabul:

In a newly released report, the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR) has noted that millions of dollars have been transported to Afghanistan in different shipments over the past three months.

Each shipment, worth an average of US$80 million, was delivered to Kabul within 10 to 14 days, with the amount held in UN accounts in private banks, ToloNews reported.

„The State Department told SIGAR last quarter that on average $80 million in UN cash shipments arrive in Kabul every 10-14 days. According to UNAMA, all the money is kept in designated UN accounts in private banks; no money is deposited. It is given to central banks or the Taliban,” SIGAR said in its statement. mentioned in the report.

Meanwhile, the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) in its latest report indicated that about 69 percent of Afghans do not have access to adequate resources for their basic needs.

According to the study, Afghanistan's economy has shrunk by 27 percent since 2020, and 7 out of 10 Afghans are unable to meet their basic needs for food, health and work.

However, the Taliban have said that UN aid to Kabul is being spent on education, health and development projects, and TOLOnews reports that the Taliban is assessing the progress of aid agencies' activities.

„The aid given by the countries is implemented through international organizations in Kabul; this money goes to them and the Islamic Emirate does not benefit from this money,” Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid was quoted as saying by TOLOnews.

However, some economic analysts believe that the international community's support for Afghanistan will benefit Afghanistan, as these cash packages will lend to the impoverished country's financial stability and economic growth.

The humanitarian situation in Afghanistan worsened, the Afghan government collapsed and the Taliban returned to the helm of affairs in August 2021.

The Ukraine crisis has had a massive impact on food costs, effectively putting essential goods out of reach for ordinary people.

Despite the easing of sectarian violence in the country, serious human rights violations, particularly against women and minorities, continue unabated.

Women and girls in Afghanistan face the brunt of the ongoing humanitarian crisis as they are deprived of their basic rights without discrimination such as education, employment, public participation and health, according to Gama Press.

(Other than the headline, this story was not edited by NDTV staff and was published from a syndicated feed.)