Afghanistan aid: 91% of $8bn lacks public spending detail
A Kabul Institute review says only $21.9 million of $8 billion in humanitarian funds over five years can be traced onward, while $1.42 billion in payments list recipients as confidential.
Development agencies received $8 billion over five years for humanitarian assistance; the United States, the United Kingdom and Germany are among the leading donors.
Only $21.9 million in onward payments could be traced in available records; the report says 91% of the total lacks public detail on use or transfer.
Some 316 payments worth $1.42 billion list recipients as “confidential”.
Agencies have committed a further $12 billion to 1,208 projects, on top of $17.5 billion in foreign grants the Taliban administration has received directly since 2021.
Afghanistan’s annual imports are about $12 billion against exports of about $1.7 billion, a $10.3 billion trade deficit.