Human Rights Watch has warned that recent cuts to US foreign aid are devastating Afghan media organizations operating in exile, threatening to silence some of the last remaining independent voices covering Afghanistan.

The report documents how dozens of Afghan newsrooms that relocated to countries including India, Pakistan, and Turkey after the Taliban takeover are now facing severe funding shortfalls as American aid programs are scaled back.

'These media outlets are a lifeline for millions of Afghans who have no access to independent news inside the country,' a HRW researcher said. 'Cutting their funding is effectively handing the Taliban a victory in their war against the free press.'

The aid cuts come at a particularly difficult time for Afghan exile media, which was already struggling with declining donor interest and rising operational costs. Several outlets have been forced to reduce staff or scale back their coverage.

AJS-Delhi members are among those affected, with several journalists reporting that the organizations they work for have faced budget cuts or ceased operations entirely.

Based on reporting from Amu TV, May 2026