Corrupt UN Officials in Afghanistan Diverting Aid Through Bribes, says US Watchdog

DID Press: Corrupt UN officials in Afghanistan demanded bribes to divert humanitarian aid to favored groups, including those backed by the Taliban’s interim government, says a U.S. watchdog.

The Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR) said senior UN officials were personally profiting from aid deliveries and exploiting a “pay-to-play” culture. Ten people, including a current and former UN official, confirmed the bribery requests.

The officials linked wealthy clients to service-providing NGOs, which in turn paid bribes — typically 5% to 50% of the contract value — to secure deals. Aid often ended up in Taliban-preferred areas rather than reaching the neediest populations, said SIGAR.

A former Afghanistan government official told SIGAR that the larger the contract, the bigger the bribe required. An NGO director estimated that 70% of UN contracts in Afghanistan involved such payments.

The World Food Programme (WFP) was responsible for “most” of the allegations, though eight other UN agencies were also involved in such activities.

The findings are part of a wider SIGAR probe into how the Taliban has steered aid funds into its own projects, sometimes through direct extortion.

SIGAR said a “culture of denial” among international aid groups allowed the Taliban to avoid accountability.

This comes as the UN has repeatedly urged the international community to step up assistance for Afghanistan, citing a worsening humanitarian crisis.