Taliban has suppressed Afghan women's rights, says US SIGAR report

The Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR) released its 68th and final report, as per Tolo News.

The report addresses issues such as US aid to Afghanistan, the situation of women and girls, security, the economy, counter-narcotics efforts, recent developments, SIGAR's monitoring process, the conclusion of its mission, and the role of other US government agencies in overseeing Afghanistan's affairs.

SIGAR claims in the report that the Taliban in Afghanistan has broadly stripped Afghan women and girls of their rights over the past nearly four years.

Abdul Sadeq Hamidzoy, a political affairs analyst, said: "International institutions have so far highlighted public concerns in their reports, but have taken no concrete action to resolve them."

According to the report, the US allocated only around $342 million in humanitarian aid to Afghanistan in fiscal year 2025, a sharp drop from over $968 million in 2023, Tolo News reported.

This steep reduction in aid, at a time when Afghanistan's internal needs are growing, has had significant effects on people's livelihoods.

The Ministry of Economy said that US aid to Afghanistan should not be politicised and rejects the claim that the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan interferes in US assistance.

Abdul Latif Nazari, Deputy Minister of Economy, stated, "The recent SIGAR report has both positive and negative aspects, but I want to emphasise two points: First, the US has politicised humanitarian aid, which contradicts humanitarian principles and international law. Second, it is alleged that the Islamic Emirate interferes in international aid, and we strongly and categorically reject this claim."

SIGAR presented its first quarterly report to the US Congress in October 2008. Now that the body has concluded its operations, the question remains: how effective and beneficial was its oversight?

Idris Mohammadi Zazai, a political affairs analyst, told Tolo News, "Since 2008, despite SIGAR's reports on administrative corruption, it was neither prevented nor eradicated."

It's worth noting that SIGAR previously stated the US has provided over $3.83 billion in aid to Afghanistan since 2021.