Uzbekistan Humanitarian Aid and Ambiguities Over Armed Opposition Presence in Afghanistan
A 400-ton humanitarian aid shipment from Uzbekistan arrived in Balkh province, Afghanistan, via Hairatan Port on Monday, December 29, 2025, at approximately 9:00 a.m. local time.
The Taliban’s provincial office in Balkh announced that the shipment included food, medicine, and medical equipment, delivered in 20 trucks to Hairatan trade town.
According to the office, the aid was handed over to Taliban officials by Ismatullah Irgashov, Uzbekistan’s Special Representative for Afghan Affairs.
In recent years, Uzbekistan has provided multiple humanitarian shipments despite Afghanistan’s complex political and security situation, pursuing economic, transit, and humanitarian cooperation a policy regarded as goodwill and regional stability.
However, local sources indicate that the Taliban have allowed opposition fighters from Uzbekistan, including members of the “Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan,” to establish military training centers in provinces such as Faryab and Ghor.
These groups are considered armed opponents and security threats by regional countries. Reports suggest some of these individuals operate directly under the Taliban Ministry of Interior, and some have even been issued Afghan identity documents.
It remains unclear whether Uzbekistan’s continued humanitarian engagement and leniency toward the Taliban stem from security concerns, fear of regional escalation, or an unspoken arrangement to curb and neutralize these armed groups a question that remains unresolved.
