Residents of Badghis Province express dissatisfaction with the process of distributing humanitarian aid in the region. They claim that the distribution is proceeding unfairly due to direct Taliban intervention and prioritization among villages. According to them, the Taliban, during aid distribution, prioritize their members, acquaintances, and relatives. These residents assert that a significant number of those in need in this province are being deprived of both cash and non-cash assistance. Previously, Taliban intervention in humanitarian aid distribution had led to the suspension of aid to certain provinces, including Ghor province.
According to reports from international organizations, with the Taliban’s resurgence in Afghanistan, the levels of poverty and hunger in the country have increased. Conversely, in the face of the deepening humanitarian crisis, both cash and non-cash assistance from relief organizations have also risen.
Nevertheless, the Taliban’s interference in the process of distributing humanitarian aid has repeatedly raised concerns among donor countries and Afghan citizens over the past two years. Numerous reports of direct Taliban intervention in the distribution of humanitarian aid have been published, and the continued interference of this group is a source of worry for those in need.
Sources in Badghis province claim that Taliban commanders and fighters allocate humanitarian aid in specific areas of the province, or distribute this aid to the families of their fighters who were killed in previous conflicts. According to them, the distribution of aid in this province is not fair, benefiting only the residents of Taliban-controlled villages and the relatives of the Taliban.
Some residents of Badghis province have informed the Hasht-e Subh Daily that the distribution of aid in this province is not fair, and genuine recipients are being deprived of assistance. They assert that aid is being distributed to individuals with personal or ethnic ties to the Taliban.
Alauddin, a resident of the Jawand district in Badghis province, states that humanitarian aid in this province is not distributed fairly, and those in real need are being deprived of assistance. According to him, aid is distributed to undeserving individuals, and the needs of the recipients are not considered based on the lists and assessments of relief organizations.
This resident of Badghis says, “Everywhere, the rights of the poor are being violated. Humanitarian aid fails to reach those in genuine need. Officials from these agencies arrive with misleading documents, asserting that assessments are being conducted to identify deserving recipients, yet it is all deceit. Thus far, the provided aid has gone to those who do not urgently require it.”
Alauddin alleges that employees of organizations include individuals affiliated with Taliban commanders and fighters in their lists. According to him, humanitarian aid is distributed to those who have at least some connection and acquaintance with the Taliban. He emphasizes, “They register only what the Taliban commanders communicate to them. Individuals who owned 50 to 100 sheep, indicating wealth, have received assistance. In essence, the impoverished are being denied aid by relief agencies.”
Needy families in Badghis province state that with the onset of the cold season and winter’s hardships in this province, they are unable to provide for their livelihoods, and relief organizations distribute humanitarian aid according to Taliban directives, targeting individuals identified by the Taliban. They add that aid has been distributed in their areas, but it has not reached the actual needy individuals.
Juma Gul, one of the residents of the Qadis district in Badghis province, states that to receive assistance from organizations, one must be recognized or introduced by the Taliban. Without these two conditions, no one will benefit from humanitarian aid.
Juma Gul adds, “This year, there was no cultivation or farming, and life in Badghis is extremely challenging. People’s only hope was in assistance from organizations. However, if you are not recognized or introduced by the Taliban, even if you die of hunger, no one will come to rescue a destitute. A lot of aid has come, but it has not been given to any poor or a person in a dire situation. They decide from the governor’s office to specify in which district the aid should be distributed. Providing aid to the needy is just a slogan and not a reality.”
This resident of Badghis emphatically states, “Relief organizations follow the directives of the Taliban. The Taliban, having satisfied themselves, now distribute aid to their people. If ordinary people succumb to hunger, there is no sympathy. In snowy conditions, individuals lack even a handful of flour, making it impossible to travel from one village to another. No assistance reaches the people. We are perplexed about how to endure the winter.”
It is worth noting that Badghis is not the only province where residents express their deprivation of humanitarian aid by the Taliban. Many inhabitants of various provinces complain about the unfair distribution of humanitarian aid by relief organizations and Taliban intervention in the process.
Previously, the Taliban in Ghor province confiscated aid distributed by organizations from the people and redistributed it among themselves. However, in Ghor, they claimed to have allocated the returned aid to “road construction,” an assertion not confirmed by the people so far.
