What is the source of the monthly checks that the Taliban is receiving?
What is the truth? Is the United States paying a monthly amount, and if yes, where is the source of this money? Let us break it down into two parts:
1. Is the United States paying a monthly amount?
The United States has been the largest single donor of humanitarian assistance to the Afghan people since the Taliban takeover in August 2021[1]. This assistance is channeled through United Nations (UN) agencies and vetted Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs), specifically to avoid paying the Taliban directly[2].
However, controversy exists because of the logistics involved:
- The weekly cash shipment: Reports from sources like the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR) and US lawmakers have highlighted that a large amount of US currency, often cited as up to $40 million per week, is flown into Afghanistan by the UN to keep the humanitarian effort running and stabilize the local currency. [3]
- The Taliban’s benefit: The Taliban controls the governmental institutions, including the Central Bank of Afghanistan.[4] The Taliban profits through several mechanisms, including:
- Taxation: NGOs operating in Afghanistan are forced to pay taxes, fees, and sometimes extortion directly to the Taliban-led ministries.[5] Secretary of State Antony Blinken has testified that these taxes amounted to millions of dollars.[6]
- Currency manipulation: The UN funds often enter the Afghan economy through currency conversion auctions run by the Taliban-controlled central bank, a process that is alleged to enrich the Haqqani Network, a US-sanctioned terrorist group.[7]
- Aid diversion: The Taliban controls the permits and licensing for NGOs, often ensuring that funds or aid are diverted to groups, regions, or individuals that support their regime.[8]
2. Is it US taxpayer money, or does it belong to Afghanistan?
There are two distinct types of funds involved, and they have different origins:
The funds most frequently discussed in the media regarding the weekly $40 million cash shipments are generally humanitarian funds, which means they are derived from U.S. taxpayer dollars and meant to prevent a total collapse of the country’s economy and stave off mass starvation.
The frozen Afghan reserves are technically Afghan money, and a portion of those funds was set aside in a separate trust fund (the Afghan Fund) to be used for the Afghan people, but the Taliban cannot access them directly.[9]
This is a complex financial situation where humanitarian necessity clashes with the reality of the Taliban’s control.
References:
[1] What the West can do now in Taliban-ruled Afghanistan – Feb 5, 2025, Chatham House
[2] Trump’s USAID cuts will be devastating to families in Afghanistan – Feb 17, 2025 – The University of Western Australia
[3] ‘USAID sending $40 million per week to Taliban…’: Witness drops bombshell at Congress hearing – Feb 27, 2025, YouTube
[4] U.N. Has Flown More Than $2.9 Billion in Cash to Afghanistan Since the Taliban Seized Power, Diverting U.S. Funds – Mar 20, 2024, ProPublica
[5] The End of US Aid to Afghanistan: What will it mean for families, services and the economy? – May 10, 2025, Relief Web
[6] Taliban refute Trump’s claims on US financial aid to Afghanistan – Jan 08, 2025, VOA News
[7] Your Tax Dollars Are Going To The Taliban – Sep 13, 2024, Burchett
[8] Millions of Taxpayer Dollars Used to Support Taliban Every Single Day – Jun 27, 2024, Homeland Security Today
[9] Joint Statement by U.S. Treasury and State Department: The United States and Partners Announce Establishment of Fund for the People of Afghanistan – Sep 14, 2022, US Treasury
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