KABUL: Afghanistan’s Taliban authorities on Wednesday said humanitarian aid should not be politicised, saying around 30 non-governmental groups had suspended activities in the country since the United States froze virtually all foreign assistance.
The United States is the largest aid donor in dollar terms globally and in Afghanistan, one of the poorest countries, which is reliant on foreign aid in multiple sectors, including emergency food assistance and healthcare.
After taking office on January 20, US President Donald Trump ordered a 90-day pause to reassess the country’s global assistance funding.
“Aid groups or countries should not use humanitarian aid for political gains,” economy ministry spokesman Abdul Rahman Habib told AFP.
“Around 31 local and foreign NGOs funded by USAID (US Agency for International Development) have seen operations supported by America suspended,” he said, adding that operations funded by other donors were ongoing.
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The number of NGOs impacted could not be immediately corroborated by AFP.
However, several organisations contacted by AFP that work in the healthcare and humanitarian sectors confirmed that some operations had been put on hold until further notice.
“The admin team told us the project has been suspended for 90 days and told all the employees to stay home,” said Feza, an NGO worker in western Herat province.
“They didn’t fire us though and said we are hopeful that the projects will resume after a short break of three months,” the 27-year-old told AFP, adding that she would be on unpaid leave for several months.
After an outcry from aid groups, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Tuesday widened exemptions to the freeze to include humanitarian assistance besides food, such as shelter and medicine.
The stated goal of the aid freeze is to eliminate funding and programmes that do not align with Trump administration priorities.
The president has also decided to block the arrival of refugees to US soil, a measure affecting thousands of Afghans awaiting immigration after fleeing the Taliban authorities.
The Taliban government has not been officially recognised by any state.
Aid funding to Afghanistan dropped after the Taliban swept back to power in 2021 and imposed restrictions in line with their interpretation of Islamic law.
Aid groups working in the country have been hamstrung by the new rulers’ edicts and oversight, including restrictions on women working for NGOs.
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