Attachments
WHAT THE UNITED STATES IS DOING IN AFGHANISTAN
The United States remains the largest donor to the Afghan people.1 Since U.S. forces withdrew from Afghanistan in August 2021, the United States has appropriated or otherwise made available $21.06 billion in assistance to Afghanistan and to Afghan refugees, as shown in Table I. This includes nearly $3.33 billion in U.S. appropriations for Afghanistan assistance, largely for humanitarian and development aid, and $3.50 billion transferred to the Afghan Fund that is intended to protect macro financial stability on behalf of the Afghan people that could, in the long-term, include recapitalizing Afghanistan’s central bank should the conditions materialize.
In addition, $8.70 billion in funds were made available in support of Afghan evacuees resettling in the United States through the Operation Allies Welcome (OAW) program. The Department of Defense (DOD) obligated $5.36 billion in Overseas Humanitarian, Disaster, and Civic Aid (OHDACA) appropriations and other funds; the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) obligated nearly $3.00 billion in appropriated funds; and the Department of Homeland Security obligated $284 million in appropriated funds in support of OAW. The Further Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2024, mandated the creation of a new Department of State (State) appropriations account, Enduring Welcome—the whole-of-government successor program to OAW.
DOD transferred $3.00 billion in OHDACA funds in FY 2023 to State for Enduring Welcome.7 State has employed this funding and other appropriations, totaling $5.53 billion, for ongoing Enduring Welcome programming. The United States also continues to respond to humanitarian crises in Afghanistan as they evolve. Since 2021, State and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) have used pre- and post-withdrawal appropriated funds to restart and begin new programs to address critical needs of the Afghan people in several key sectors—health, education, agriculture, and food security—and are also supporting civil society and media, focusing on women, girls, and broad human rights protections. These efforts are being implemented through nongovernmental organizations, international organizations, and other partners. As shown in Table I.2, some $2.43 billion of the nearly $3.33 billion appropriated for assistance to Afghanistan since the end of FY 2021 has gone toward humanitarian assistance, representing 73% of the total. Another $469 million, or 14% of the total, went for development assistance.
In FY 2024, the U.S. government has committed and obligated over $885 million to support humanitarian assistance in Afghanistan, as shown in Table I.3. USAID’s Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance (USAID/BHA) obligated over $534 million in FY 2024 Q4 to several UN offices supporting the humanitarian response in Afghanistan. Of these funds, $280 million was obligated to support the UN World Food Programme’s food assistance through cash transfers, vouchers, and logistical support. USAID/BHA and the State’s Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration (PRM) continued to partner with the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and other implementing partners to support Afghan refugees, returnees, and other vulnerable persons.11 In FY 2024 Q4, State/PRM obligated an additional $93 million to support the UN’s International Organization for Migration (IOM), the UN Population Fund (UNFPA), and UNHCR’s humanitarian activities in Afghanistan.
USAID reported it obligated almost $839 million to the Economic Support Fund and Global Health Programs account from FY 2022 through FY 2024, supporting 40 active programs, as shown in Table I.4. USAID obligated nearly $200 million in FY 2024 Q4 to support economic growth and public health programs, including to three new programs: Countering Trafficking in Persons: Women and Men in Agriculture; and Afghanistan Integrated Youth Activity.
In 2022, the United States transferred $3.50 billion in Afghan central bank assets previously frozen in the United States to the Swiss-based Fund for the Afghan People or Afghan Fund. Although no disbursements to benefit the Afghan people have yet been made, the Fund is intended to protect macro financial stability on behalf of the Afghan people that could, in the long-term, include recapitalizing Afghanistan’s central bank should the conditions materialize, keep Afghanistan current on debt payments to international financial institutions to preserve its eligibility for development assistance, and pay for critically needed imported goods. There were no updates to the Fund’s balance this quarter. According to the Fund’s website, the Fund’s balance stood at $3.84 billion as of June 28, 2024, including interest accrued.