A new report from the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction has now raised serious concerns about the oversight of NGOs by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and the State Department.
Following the Taliban’s takeover of Afghanistan in August 2021, the U.S. government has allocated billions in taxpayer funds to support humanitarian efforts, primarily through non-governmental organizations.
However, the report indicates that these agencies have not consistently required NGOs to comply with U.S. oversight regarding how funds are spent.
The investigation revealed that standard contracts did not mandate NGOs to allow American officials to monitor their activities.
For instance, a contract with a third-party monitoring group was paid without any actual site visits to assess operations on the ground.
This lack of scrutiny has raised the risk of funds being diverted to the Taliban or other corrupt practices.
Specific examples highlighted include USAID funding for UNICEF’s water and sanitation project in Afghanistan, where an inspector discovered numerous unreported issues.
Additionally, the State Department’s Bureau of Political-Military Affairs funded programs without requiring site visits or accountability measures, leading to concerns about transparency.
The report emphasized that without mechanisms for reporting misconduct or diversion of funds, the true extent of Taliban interference in U.S. funded activities remains unknown.
Instances of interference were reported, including the Taliban’s attempts to influence the selection of beneficiaries for aid.
In light of these findings, the inspector general called for mandatory site visits and the establishment of a standardized process for reporting fraud and misconduct.
The aim is to ensure that taxpayer money is effectively utilized and to prevent any support from inadvertently aiding the Taliban.
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