Washington, D.C. – House Republicans have expressed their outrage over reports that a significant portion of U.S. humanitarian aid to Afghanistan has ended up in the hands of the Taliban. This concern was voiced prominently during a recent House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee hearing led by Rep. Brian Mast, R-Fla.

Rep. Mast highlighted that since the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan in August 2021, over $2.8 billion in humanitarian aid has been sent to the country. He emphasized that tens of millions of these funds may have been directly received by the Taliban. This revelation comes from a report by the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR), which found that at least $10.9 million of U.S. taxpayer money inadvertently benefited the Taliban.

Rep. Michael McCaul, R-Texas, Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, also condemned the misallocation, demanding immediate action from the Biden administration to prevent further U.S. funds from reaching the Taliban. McCaul described the findings as “unacceptable” and criticized the lack of oversight in federal appropriations.

SIGAR, established in 2008, noted that the $10.9 million figure is likely a small fraction of the total amount the Taliban have indirectly received through taxes, fees, duties, and utilities.

Rep. Mast criticized these expenditures as part of a broader pattern of mismanagement and waste in federal spending, labeling them as the “epitome of ‘America Last.’” He stressed the need for the U.S. to better compete globally, particularly against adversaries like China, Russia, and Iran.

The State Department previously denied accusations of misusing funds, such as the $500,000 grant allegedly intended to promote atheism in Nepal, clarifying that the grant’s purpose was misrepresented.