NGO crackdown in Afghanistan

In a bid to crack down on corruption, the Afghanistan government has revoked the licences of 172 aid organisations in the country. While there are around 1,500 NGOs operating in Afghanistan, last year the government also revoked the licences of 268 such groups, some of which are international aid NGOs.  Reasons for this action include “misconduct”, failure to report on their activities, and funding activities “contrary to what they pledged in their mandate".

According to the AFP report: “Tens of billions of dollars in foreign aid has poured into Afghanistan since the US invasion to rid the country of the Taliban regime in 2001, yet much of it has disappeared into private pockets with little trace.”  A somewhat portentous story for those who argue that aid is particularly effective in war zones and areas that are sources of terrorism.