The US may have been forcibly ousted from Afghanistan by the Taliban in the summer of 2021, but three years later, it is still by far the country's biggest donor, despite being outlawed by the world. According to the UN, this financial windfall and the waivers granted by Washington to ease sanctions against the Islamist regime are vital if the country is to avoid collapse. The special inspector general for Afghanistan reconstruction (SIGAR), the agency tasked by the US Congress with overseeing the use of US funds, said the US "has appropriated or otherwise made available $20.71 billion in assistance" since the withdrawal of its forces.

This amount includes nearly $3 billion in humanitarian and development aid. The experts also considered the $3.5 billion in assets belonging to the Afghan state, frozen by Washington and transferred in September 2022 to the Afghan Fund set up by the US Treasury in Switzerland to "protect macro financial stability on behalf of the Afghan people." In its calculation, SIGAR took into account spending on Afghan refugees welcomed to its territory since August 2021. For example, $8.7 billion was spent on the evacuation and care of Afghans evacuated to the US under Operation Allies Welcome, part of which is funded by the US Department of Defense. These operations took place in part under Taliban supervision, and the Taliban are said to have taken their tithes from Afghan NGOs working in the field.

The US Departments of Health and Human Services and Homeland Security committed nearly $3 billion and $284 million respectively. The Consolidated Appropriations Act for 2024 included a $5.53 billion commitment from the Department of State and the Department of Defense for the Enduring Welcome program, designed to continue the care of Afghan refugees.

The Taliban rely on their greatest enemy, and can't do without the US. According to the World Bank, real Afghan GDP has contracted by 26% over the last two fiscal years, and "economic activity remains sluggish, marked by persistent deflation." The United Nations acts as a "transporter of funds" after the interruption of international bank transfers and liquidity problems since the Taliban seized power.

According to the State Department, an average of $80 million in cash arrives in Kabul every 10 to 14 days. In 2022 and 2023, the UN transferred $3.6 billion in cash to Afghanistan. The money is placed in designated UN accounts in a private bank. At the end of July, SIGAR estimated that "UN cash shipments to Afghanistan have reportedly stabilized the Afghan economy."

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