In a revealing statement by the head of the Taliban’s Environmental Protection Department pleaded with the international community—especially the United States—to resume and depoliticize foreign aid to Afghanistan. The request has reignited global debate over the Taliban-led government’s incapacity to sustain the country without external financial support.
The Taliban official urged donors to separate politics from humanitarian and environmental assistance, insisting that funding is crucial for basic governance. However, critics argue that the plea exposes a deeper crisis: a regime incapable of self-reliance, plagued by mismanagement, isolation, and ideological rigidity.
Since their return to power in August 2021, the Taliban have failed to build functional state institutions, revive the economy, or ensure basic services like education, health, and environmental safety. Afghanistan remains heavily dependent on international aid, which once made up nearly 75% of the government’s budget before the Taliban takeover.
“Begging for money while suppressing freedoms and isolating themselves from the world shows how morally and administratively bankrupt this regime is,” said one regional analyst. “They want money without accountability, and legitimacy without reform.”
Despite claiming to have restored order, the Taliban regime continues to face criticism for its human rights abuses, lack of inclusive governance, and failure to deliver on promises of modernization or international engagement.
This latest appeal for funds underscores what many observers have warned all along: the Taliban cannot govern without foreign support—and they have no viable plan to change that
