The United Nations Security Council halted 56 humanitarian aid programs in Afghanistan in July of this year due to restrictions imposed by the Taliban and their mistreatment of humanitarian workers. The Council stated in a report that the Taliban’s actions have posed challenges to humanitarian organizations’ efforts to address the country’s humanitarian crisis. According to the report, the Taliban have interfered in humanitarian activities and have also damaged humanitarian assets and facilities. Delays in signing agreements and interference in staff hiring are among the factors contributing to the suspension of humanitarian activities by aid organizations. The report indicates that 95% of the Taliban’s restrictions have been motivated by gender considerations, resulting in the temporary suspension of eight programs. The United Nations Security Council emphasized that the ban on women’s participation has affected women’s and children’s access to humanitarian assistance. Furthermore, the Council added that the removal of women from the boards of the organizations and the exclusion of women’s participation in the signing of humanitarian aid program documents have harmed women’s involvement in humanitarian operations.
Over the past two years, humanitarian organizations have repeatedly expressed concerns about the Taliban’s interference in humanitarian affairs and their imposition of extensive restrictions. These organizations have highlighted instances where Taliban fighters and some commanders in various provinces have misbehaved toward humanitarian workers. In the latest development, the United Nations Security Council has suspended 56 humanitarian aid programs in Afghanistan as of July of this year, citing the Taliban’s misconduct and restrictions.
The United Nations Security Council stated in a report that the Taliban’s conduct regarding humanitarian operations in Afghanistan has posed challenges to humanitarian organizations’ efforts to address the country’s humanitarian crisis. According to the report, this group has intervened in humanitarian activities and has caused damage to humanitarian assets and facilities. The report by the Security Council reveals that in July 2023, approximately 150 incidents related to humanitarian aid were recorded, with 95% of them involving actions by Taliban authorities and fighters. The suspension of these programs, as per the report, has had a severe impact on individuals in dire need of humanitarian assistance.
According to the United Nations Security Council report, the Taliban have delayed the signing of agreements with aid agencies and interfered in the hiring of personnel. The report states that there have been 50 instances of interference in program planning, 9 cases of delays in agreement signings, 7 incidents of interference in staff recruitment, and 2 incidents of diversion of humanitarian aid by UN partners.
The United Nations Security Council has stated that 95% of the restrictions imposed by the Taliban on staff movements had gender-based motivations, resulting in the temporary suspension of eight humanitarian programs. According to this council, the Taliban’s obstruction of female staff in the distribution of humanitarian assistance has had a detrimental impact on women and children in need.
The report by this council also highlights bureaucratic challenges that have led to the suspension of humanitarian programs. Additionally, the removal of women from board memberships and signatories in project documents has severely hindered their participation in the distribution of humanitarian aid. The report indicates that 33% of the recorded violence against the humanitarian operation environment has created risks to the security of personnel, with 7 staff members detained and facilities of 8 other organizations destroyed.
The United Nations Security Council has announced the suspension of humanitarian programs in Afghanistan, while the latest World Bank report reveals that two-thirds of families in Afghanistan lack the means to provide for their basic food and non-food needs.
Previously, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) stated that 29.2 million people in Afghanistan require humanitarian assistance, with 15.3 million of them facing severe food insecurity.
However, Zabihullah Mujahid, the Taliban spokesperson, responded to the Security Council’s report by asserting that the Taliban only ensure the security of aid organizations and do not interfere in their internal affairs. The Taliban’s Ministry of Economy also explained that the suspension of humanitarian programs is due to budget shortages within these organizations and is unrelated to Taliban interference. The ministry further emphasized that the number of projects in the humanitarian aid sector has decreased compared to the previous year.
It should be noted that prior to the publication of the United Nations Security Council report, the United Nations had expressed concerns about the worsening humanitarian crisis and the challenging situation of humanitarian aid in Afghanistan. The United Nations has stated that during the two years of Taliban rule, at least 30 humanitarian workers have been killed in Afghanistan. The United Nations has warned that if threats against the staff of this organization are not addressed, millions of people in need will be deprived of humanitarian assistance.
The Taliban’s interference and obstruction of humanitarian aid have been among the major concerns of the global community in the past two years. Before the Security Council report, the United States Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR) had expressed concerns about the level of Taliban interference in the distribution of humanitarian aid and the United Nations’ inability to protect its programs. SIGAR stated that the Taliban have diverted humanitarian aid in Afghanistan for their own benefit.
John Sopko, citing a report from a United States Institute of Peace (USIP) funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), has stated that the Taliban have systematically infiltrated most of the United Nations-managed programs. According to the report, the Taliban view the UN system as a revenue stream and are seeking to control it.
Prior to the United Nations Security Council report, the United States Department of State had announced that Washington had suspended its humanitarian activities in the provinces of Ghor, Ghazni, and Urozgan. Matthew Miller, the spokesperson for the U.S. Department of State, had stated that some Taliban officials were involved in interfering with the humanitarian aid process. Members of the US House of Representatives have also called for transparency in humanitarian aid to Afghanistan.
The Taliban stand accused of seizing and interfering with the distribution of humanitarian aid at a time when, according to reports from aid agencies, Afghanistan faces the world’s largest and most severe humanitarian crisis, and the Taliban have not presented any plans for poverty alleviation or addressing the humanitarian crisis.
