Credible sources in Parwan province accuse Taliban officials of monopolizing and embezzling aid from the international community. Officials in the Taliban-led government, however, deny the allegations.
Three credible local sources from Parwan’s three districts have claimed that international aid is being distributed to Taliban forces, people affiliated with the group, and even people outside the province. A well-known source in the Sayed Khel district of Parwan province, speaking on condition of anonymity, told Hasht-e Subh that food and non-consumable aid have not been distributed to the people in need by local officials of the Taliban-led government in the district. The aid has been allocated to the military and people close to the Taliban in cooperation with the villagers’ elders, according to him.
“During the Taliban rule, food and other items were provided three times,” the source added. “But in addition to not being enough, as the previous government, there was embezzling in aid distribution. Most of the aid has been allocated to the military personnel.
“People in need have received insufficient aid, and the lists are prepared by the villages’ elders, which only their relatives received aid.”
A well-known source in the Bagram district of Parwan province also claimed that the international aid is monopolized by the Taliban and that this aid is not distributed to the civilian population. According to the source, local officials in the Bagram district of Parwan province are distributing the share of the district even to residents outside the province. He added: “Residents of neighboring provinces such as Tagab district of Kapisa province come to Parwan and receive aid under the name of Bagram district residents. That is, those who are affiliated with the Taliban come and receive aid by the name of Parwan’s Bagram residents.”
In addition, some other Parwan residents have complained of an imbalance in the Taliban local government’s aid delivery process. Massoud Farahmand, a resident of Tatmadra village in Parwan province, told Hasht-e Subh that although the economic situation of the people has deteriorated sharply since the Taliban took over the country, aid is being distributed in small numbers. “More than 3,000 families are living in our village, but the estimated share in our village is only 250 families,” he added. “The list of these families has also been sent to the local government of Parwan by individuals close to the Taliban.”
Meanwhile, officials in the Taliban-led government in Parwan province have denied the allegations, saying they have no role in compiling a list of needy families in the province. Mohammad Rahim, the head of agriculture, irrigation, and livestock of the Taliban-led government in Parwan province, told Hasht-e Subh that the people in need have been identified in advance by local and foreign aid agencies and that food and non-food packages were then delivered to them. According to Parwan local government statistics, about 4,000 packages of 50-kilogram agricultural items and chemical fertilizer have been distributed by the department in different parts of the province. Hundreds of needy families have also received food and non-food packages from aid agencies.
UN figures show that 18 million people, or around half of Afghanistan’s population, need assistance. The World Food Program also estimates that $1.3 billion is needed to provide immediate assistance to Afghanistan, and has been able to raise 29 percent of that amount so far. But it is unclear when and how the aid will be delivered to the people.
[box type=”info” align=”alignleft” class=”” width=””]Maqbo Noori, Hasht-e Subh Persian[/box]