Providing Aid Since 2002
After the attacks against the United States on September 11th, 2001, the U.S. launched a “war on terror,” a global counterterrorism campaign to combat al-Qaeda and other terrorist groups, as well as to topple the Taliban government in Afghanistan. The United States invaded Afghanistan as a part of this campaign. In 2002, after the surrender of the Taliban, President George W. Bush called for the reconstruction of Afghanistan and compared his plan to rebuild the country to that of the Marshall Plan that helped rebuild Europe after World War II. Since 2002, the United States has been the largest donor of humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan and has provided billions of dollars in reconstruction, security assistance, civilian assistance, and humanitarian aid to the country.
The U.S. Withdraws, The Taliban Takeover
In August 2021, the United States withdrew its last remaining troops from Afghanistan, ending the 20-year-long war in the country. Shortly after, the Taliban seized control of the Afghan government. Since their takeover of the government, there have been numerous reports of the Taliban violating the civil and human rights of the Afghan people. In response, the U.S. has changed its approach in Afghanistan to focus on providing humanitarian aid rather than reconstruction.
Since August 2021, the U.S. has provided more than $1.1 billion in assistance to meet the basic needs of the Afghan people and to prevent an economic collapse. However, the current Taliban control of Afghanistan raises the question: Should the United States continue to provide aid to Afghanistan with the risk of funding the Taliban?
Arguments for Continuing Aid: Afghanistan is a Country In Need
In Afghanistan, a humanitarian crisis looms over the country. As of 2021, 42% of the population faces acute food shortages, and there is a risk of an economic collapse as the prices of food rise. One analysis by the World Bank found that the price of goods had increased by 42% between 2021 and 2022. The World Bank further states that Afghanistan will need continued international support to fund basic services, support faster economic growth, and consolidate and sustain any potential reduction in violence following a political settlement with the Taliban.
There are moral arguments that the United States should continue to provide aid. In a statement, the United Nations Secretary-General, António Guterres, called upon countries to provide funding for the people of Afghanistan. Calling it their “darkest hour of need.” In terms of the United States, Afghans For A Better Tomorrow, an activist group, claims the United States has a moral obligation to continue to provide aid to Afghanistan after its 20-year war and due to its “messy and irresponsible” withdrawal from the country that has put millions of lives at stake.
Arguments Against Continuing Aid: Mismanagement
According to research and reports, previous aid and reconstruction projects by the United States in Afghanistan lacked collaboration between agencies and had insufficient monitoring, with U.S. agencies rarely coordinating their efforts in the country. Many U.S. officials believed the solution to the insecurity in Afghanistan was pouring more resources into Afghan institutions. However, the lack of progress with the increased resources made it clear that fundamental problems in Afghanistan would not be solved by changing resource levels. According to a SIGAR report, a combination of these issues led to billions of dollars wasted on projects in Afghanistan. Many believe that sending taxpayer dollars without oversight or quantifiable results is irresponsible, and that these aid projects must be accountable to taxpayers as part of the social contract.
Furthermore, there is no guarantee the Taliban is not diverting the aid money. Since the takeover by the Taliban, the U.S. can not guarantee that the Taliban is not misappropriating the aid money provided to the country. John Sopko, the Special Inspector for Afghanistan Reconstruction, testified, “Nor can I assure you that the Taliban are not diverting the money we are sending for the intended recipients, which are the poor Afghan people.” In fact, there are accusations that the Taliban has already diverted aid money to itself and has begun using it as another revenue stream. This also has moral implications for the U.S., as the Taliban government has significantly rolled back protections for women in the country, as well as committed numerous human rights violations. Foreign aid is a main form of income for the country, and indirectly funding the regime, intentionally or not, may empower the Taliban to continue its violent crackdown.
The situation in Afghanistan has put the United States in a challenging situation. The United States must decide whether to continue providing aid to Afghanistan, which might increase the likelihood of financial loss and unintentional funding of the Taliban, or to stop such assistance, which could result in a serious humanitarian crisis in the nation.
