UK aid to Afghanistan since the Taliban takeover: ICAI review – Bond reaction

The Independent Commission for Aid Impact (ICAI)’s new report, to be released on Thursday 18 May on the UK’s humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan since the Taliban take over in 2021, is an update of its review published last year which assessed UK aid to Afghanistan between 2014 and 2021.

In reaction to the updated review Stephanie Draper, Chief Executive at Bond, the UK network for NGOs, said:

“The UK is turning its back on the people of Afghanistan who are facing a worsening humanitarian crisis. Cuts to programmes in the country means the government has abandoned women and girls at a time when their rights are deteriorating. 

Reallocating such a huge proportion of UK aid to cover in-country refugee costs has meant the UK is less able to respond and allocate funding to humanitarian crisis, which undermines the purpose of UK aid and puts our global credibility on UK aid at risk.  

The government must deliver on its commit to the Afghan people by reversing cuts to programmes in the country.”