The famine in Afghanistan continues to get worse as the Taliban government flounders in their relations with foreign nations. Government workers in Afghanistan have gone months without having their salaries paid, and a run on Afghan banks has left many unable to feed their families. The United Nations is asking countries to provide up to $5 Billion in aid to help feed the Afghan people.
The United States has donated $782 Million in aid to Afghanistan since October of 2021. That aid has been strictly limited to basic shelter, food items and medical supplies, and is channeled through the US Agency for International Development (USAID).
The US has also donated a total of 4.3 million Covid vaccine doses to Afghanistan, as part of an international effort with the World Health Organization.
The Taliban is complicating matters further by insisting on a role in the distribution of aid. That has drawn suspicion from international agencies and NGOs who fear the Taliban may end up diverting aid materials to the black market as a means of acquiring funding for weapons purchases.