Over 50 aid organizations cease operations in Afghanistan following US suspension

The Taliban-led Afghan government has urged the international community not to politicize humanitarian aid to the country. 

According to the Afghan TOLO News TV channel, the appeal was made by a spokesperson of the ministry of economy. 

“We want countries, including the U.S., to avoid politicizing aid and to separate political issues from humanitarian concerns,” Caliber.Az cites the Afghan network.

Afghanistan issued this appeal following the new US Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s directive to suspend nearly all American foreign aid programs funded by the $70 billion annual budget approved by Congress. 

As the news channel reports, around 50 international humanitarian organizations have ceased operations in Afghanistan amid the Trump administration’s suspension of all foreign aid programs announced last week. Afghanistan highly depends on foreign aid amidst food insecurities and economic challenges ever since the Taliban have taken over control of the government in 2021, which resulted in an avalanche of economic sanctions hitting the country.

Initially, only emergency food programs and confirmed military aid to Egypt and Israel were exempt from the decision. An amendment was added on January 28 granting the continuation of humanitarian programs that provide life-saving medicine, medical services, food, shelter and subsistence assistance. 

According to the USAID organization, Washington is the largest donor of humanitarian assistance in Afghanistan, having providing over $2.1 billion in humanitarian funding since August 2021.

By Nazrin Sadigova