After the Taliban took control of Afghanistan, many former politicians and officials of the Islamic Republic began to believe that the United States was sending weekly cash payments into the country. This belief spread rapidly and took hold in public discourse. Yet investigations by the Hasht-e Subh Daily revealed a different reality. The United States government had already halted its direct humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan in March 2025. Despite this, one question has followed the country throughout four years of Taliban rule. Where does the steady flow of weekly cash into Afghanistan come from, why is it sent, and what purpose does it serve? To answer these questions, the Hasht-e Subh Daily spoke with senior US officials and representatives of the United Nations.
One former senior US official, closely familiar with the issue, spoke on condition of anonymity because he lacked formal authorization. He stated clearly, “The US government does not send any money to Afghanistan.” When asked about the widely discussed weekly forty-million-dollar cash packages arriving in the country, he explained that these funds do not belong to the United States. Instead, they belong to the United Nations and are transferred by the organization to support humanitarian assistance in Afghanistan.
He explained that the United Nations uses these funds to cover the costs of humanitarian operations. UN-affiliated agencies and several partner non-governmental organizations then spend the money within Afghanistan. He emphasized that the US government does not send these funds to Afghanistan and that none of the money is allocated to the Taliban.
At the same time, the United States halted all of its humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan in March 2025, a decision confirmed by a spokesperson for the US State Department. The loss of US aid sharply worsened existing health and food crises, crises that now affect more than half of the population of Afghanistan.
Other donors stepped in to fill part of the gap. The European Union, the United Kingdom, and Japan continued to support humanitarian operations, although at lower levels than before. Testimony by former officials of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the US State Department before Congress showed that US assistance in Afghanistan followed international standards. Less than one-tenth of one percent of this aid went toward administrative costs such as electricity and income tax.
Despite these facts, some individuals and sources have claimed that the cash packages are delivered directly to the Taliban and used for the group’s expenses. One of the most vocal voices behind this claim is an American veteran of Afghan origin who uses the name “Legend” on the social media platform X. He repeatedly asserts that the United States sends forty million dollars in cash to the Taliban every week. He has never revealed his identity, and in the videos he publishes, his face remains hidden. The Hasht-e Subh Daily contacted him through X to request an interview, but he did not respond before this report was published.
These claims have had political consequences. Several members of the US Congress have introduced draft bills with titles such as “Cutting Off Taliban Financing” and “Do Not Give Taxpayer Money to Terrorists.” These proposals rest on the narrative that the United States continues to send weekly cash payments directly to the Taliban.
Taliban Stability Amid the Economic Instability of the People
Cash packages in US dollars, provided by the United Nations and donor countries to aid organizations operating inside Afghanistan, play a critical role in keeping the country’s fragile economy afloat and in allowing humanitarian assistance to reach those in need. Georgette Gagnon, the Deputy Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for Afghanistan, and Tom Fletcher, the UN Emergency Relief Coordinator, told a closed meeting of the UN Security Council that half of Afghanistan’s population will need humanitarian assistance in 2026. Fletcher said this number reaches 22 million people. He warned that Afghanistan is now facing one of the most severe humanitarian crises anywhere in the world.
Even under these dire conditions, the Taliban have intervened in the aid distribution process. Through interference and manipulation, they have made it harder for vulnerable people to access assistance and have pushed the situation closer to collapse. Numerous documented reports show that the Taliban have disrupted aid efforts by banning women from participating in operations and by directing assistance toward specific areas. In some cases, aid organizations have had no choice but to suspend their work for months while searching for a way forward.
To verify these reports, the Hasht-e Subh Daily contacted Stefan Smith, the spokesperson for UNAMA in Kabul. He said, “The only cash shipments I am aware of, and the only ones that matter to the United Nations, are those that allow UN activities and humanitarian operations in Afghanistan to continue.”
A document published on the UNAMA website further explains that after the Afghan banking system collapsed in August 2021, the United Nations began transferring cash into the country to sustain its operations and humanitarian work. The organization deposits these funds into designated UN accounts at a private bank. It then distributes the money directly to UN-affiliated agencies and a limited number of approved humanitarian partners. None of these funds go to the central bank of Afghanistan or to the Taliban. This system remains essential for delivering life-saving assistance to more than 25 million people in need, and the United Nations closely monitors, audits, and controls all of these financial resources.
Consequences of a Complete Cutoff of Humanitarian Assistance to Afghanistan
The greatest concern is that efforts in the US Congress to pass bills such as “Cutting Off Taliban Financing” and “Do Not Give Taxpayer Money to Terrorists” could push humanitarian assistance in Afghanistan into an even deeper crisis. These decisions could place new limits on how aid is sent and distributed and could further complicate the work of aid organizations that already operate under extreme pressure.
Such laws could also increase US political pressure on international aid organizations and on governments that cooperate with the United States, including European countries, Japan, and even some Gulf states. Under this pressure, they may be urged to stop providing humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan altogether. At present, these countries deliver aid through the United Nations or directly to the people of Afghanistan. Increased political and legal constraints could make them hesitant to continue or expand this support.
If the transfer of UN financial resources to Afghanistan is suspended or becomes more complicated, a situation that could follow the passage of these bills, the entire system could slowly break down and eventually come to a halt. Experts warn that such an outcome would sharply intensify the humanitarian crisis. The people of Afghanistan would then face devastating consequences, including famine, widespread hunger, and long-term health emergencies.
