Aid May Not Reach Afghan People Due To Lack Of Oversight On Ground - US Inspector General

Foreign humanitarian assistance may not reach Afghan people due to the lack of on-the-ground oversight because neither the United States nor any other Western donor has a presence in the country, US Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction John Sopko said on Thursday

WASHINGTON (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 27th January, 2022) Foreign humanitarian assistance may not reach Afghan people due to the lack of on-the-ground oversight because neither the United States nor any other Western donor has a presence in the country, US Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction John Sopko said on Thursday.

"While all this aid flows, neither the United States nor any other Western donor at this time has a diplomatic or military presence on the ground in Afghanistan. This lack of on the ground oversight increases the risk that that foreign assistance will be diverted before it reaches the people who need it most," Sopko said during a virtual event organized by the Atlantic Council.

Sopko explained that the United States has spent more than $146 billion on reconstruction in Afghanistan over the past 20 years while an estimated 30% of that aid was either wasted or stolen.

The Afghan economy has been crumbling since the Taliban takeover and withdrawal of foreign troops last fall. The country's foreign assets were frozen and a number of countries and organizations refused to cooperate with the Taliban. The WHO and other United Nations agencies have pledged to continue humanitarian help to the people of Afghanistan regardless of political circumstances.