Kabul: Afghan Taliban officials announced on Wednesday that approximately 30 non-governmental organizations (NGOs) have suspended their operations since the United States halted its foreign aid.
The Taliban emphasized that humanitarian assistance should not be used for political purposes.
The U.S remains one of the largest providers of cash aid to Afghanistan, a country heavily reliant on foreign assistance for emergency food, public health, and other essential services. However, following his inauguration on January 20, former U.S. President Donald Trump suspended foreign aid for 90 days to reassess its allocation.
Abdul Rahman Habib, spokesperson for the Taliban’s Ministry of Economy, told AFP "Charity organizations or countries should not use humanitarian aid for political gains."
He confirmed that 31 local and international NGOs, which had received funding from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), had halted operations. Only projects supported by other donors remain active.
In Herat province, an employee of an NGO, identified as Faza, told AFP: "Our administrative head informed us that the project is suspended for 90 days and asked all employees to stay at home."
Following criticism from humanitarian organizations, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced on Tuesday that food, shelter, and medicine would now be exempt from the aid suspension.
The decision to freeze aid was reportedly aimed at eliminating programs that do not align with the Trump administration’s priorities.
The Taliban government remains unrecognized by any country. Most foreign aid to Afghanistan was suspended after the Taliban reclaimed power in 2021, imposing a series of restrictions based on their interpretation of Islam.
The Taliban's bans on women working with NGOs, along with increased oversight, have further complicated the operations of the remaining aid organizations in the country.
