Taliban want to control aid money, a red line for donors

KABUL – The Taliban assert control of non-governmental organizations operating in Afghanistan and are demanding a greater say in who receives aid and which NGOs are hired, jeopardizing life-saving supplies to the Afghan people.

At stake are the billions of dollars in aid the international community has pledged to Afghanistan since August, when the Taliban took control of the country and the economy collapsed. The Taliban government has publicly stated that it is committed to NGOs providing assistance to those who need it. But in practice, the Taliban are increasingly interfering with humanitarian organizations’ ability to operate independently, according to humanitarian organizations, foreign officials and documents verified by the Wall Street Journal.