Of the $25 billion in aid to Afghanistan from 2001 until now, only some $15 billion has been spent, aid agencies say. But for every $100 spent, sometimes only $20 actually reaches Afghan recipients, said the Kabul-based internationally funded Integrity Watch Afghanistan (IWA).
(...) Between 15 to 30 percent of aid money is spent on security for aid agencies, the IWA report said, and 85 percent of products, services and human resources used by agencies are imported and provide few jobs for Afghan workers.
(...) As much as 20 percent of international aid to Afghanistan is spent on so-called technical assistance; jargon for highly paid foreign staff. Some $1.6 billion was spent on technical assistance between 2002 and 2006, the report said.
(...) [holy shit!] Some staff working for the USAID, the U.S. government’s development agency, earn as much as $22,000 a month in Afghanistan, IWA said, or 367 times more than an Afghan teacher.
(...) Some 70 percent of international assistance is not channeled through the government so the Afghan state has no control how it is spent and the money does little to enhance its standing with the people or develop its ability to govern. Even though most of the money coming into Afghanistan does not come through the state, the Afghan government still relies on aid for some 90 percent of its budget.