Kabul under fire for alleged misuse of pandemic aid
MPs join chorus of complaints amid claims of fraud, waste
The Afghan government is facing mounting criticism over alleged misuse of international funding to battle the coronavirus pandemic.
Following the virus outbreak, Afghanistan received emergency assistance totalling €117 million ($131 million) from the EU, along with $100.4 million from the World Bank and $40 million from the Asian Development Bank.
However, Integrity Watch Afghanistan (IWA) on Wednesday accused the Afghan government of trying to “monopolize” funds from foreign donors to combat COVID-19 — a move it claimed would deepen mistrust between the government and the public.
“Monopolization in spending the aid creates severe vulnerabilities and removes trust,” said Sayed Ekram Afzali, head of the IWA. Complaints of mismanagement and embezzlement by government officials in Kabul and other provinces have been increasing since March, leading to protests in many parts of the country.
Delayed salary payments to doctors, shortages of protective gear for the medical staff treating coronavirus patients, and a lack of oxygen, sanitizers and masks at hospitals has led to widespread criticism of the government’s handling of the crisis.
A senior official at the Afghan Health Ministry told Arab News on Wednesday that hundreds of thousands of dollars were squandered by three deputy ministers and the heads of two departments, including one in charge of procurement.
The three deputy ministers and two department heads resigned recently, along with Health Minister Ferozuddin Feroz, amid accusations of mismanagement and graft.
The ministry official, who requested anonymity, said that there have also been reports of ventilators going missing. On Tuesday, the attorney general’s office said that prosecutors arrested the manager of a Health Ministry warehouse following claims that he was paid $80,000 by a firm to sell protective gear donated by international community at a cheaper price.
Local media reports on the disappearance of ventilators and the squandering of funds prompted Afghan President Ashraf Ghani to order an official investigation on Monday.
“The government will act against those who have misused the resources in fighting coronavirus,” he said.
Finance Ministry spokesman Shamrooz Khan Masjedi told Arab News that anyone with evidence of state and foreign aid being misused should contact the authorities. “Those found guilty will be dealt on the basis of law in such a pressing time,” he said.
The Finance Ministry, which handles foreign aid, has been viewed as a main source of corruption in Afghanistan. Two former ministers, one in office until only a few months ago, left the country following accusations of graft.