US funds to Afghanistan may have fallen to militants: report

 Two State Department bureaus could not prove compliance with internal policies for vetting aid groups in Taliban-ruled Afghanistan that received $293 million in funds, raising a risk that extremists may have profited, a US watchdog said.

“It is critical that State knows who is actually benefiting from this assistance in order to prevent the aid from being diverted to the Taliban or other sanctioned parties,” said the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR) report on Wednesday.

The Taliban, the report said, has tried to obtain US aid funds “through several means, including the establishment of humanitarian organisations,” underscoring the need for the department to “fully and consistently assess the risks posed by its implementing partners.”

The State Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Read more: Click here