The Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR) reported that Noor Jalal, recently appointed as the Taliban’s Minister of Public Health, has “no experience” in public health.
Jalal was appointed to his position on May 28.
He served as the Taliban’s Minister of Interior from 1996 to 2001 and was under UN sanctions from 2001 to 2012, according to SIGAR.
In 2022, a regional media outlet reported that Jalal praised Taliban suicide bomber units as an “integral part of our Jihad and our source of pride,” SIGAR noted.
“He is not known to have any public health experience. USAID said it is engaging with its implementing partners to determine how Jalal’s appointment will impact health services, noting that the relationship between health actors and the Taliban is critical for efforts to provide principled health assistance in Afghanistan,” the report added.
The Taliban has not yet commented on the report.
