Afghanistan Reconstruction

We invited one of our Advisors, M. Ashraf Haidari, to respond to YOUR questions.

Formerly peace scholar and Foreign Service fellow at Georgetown University,
Ashraf is now First Secretary in Political/Security and Development Affairs at the
Embassy of Afghanistan in Washington DC. In this discussion, he addressed a
range of issues including security, commerce, refugees and IDPs, post-conflict
reconstruction as well as government and international affairs.

Special Report: Information Society - The Next Steps

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Latest Additions
Rebuilding Infrastructure: Policy Options for Attracting Private Funds after Conflict
Postconflict countries have had difficulty attracting private investment in infrastructure, and their growth and stability have suffered
as a result. But the success of a few countries hints at policy initiatives that governments could pursue to close this destabilizing
gap in investment. The emphasis should be on making sure that sector reforms go. . .

Added by Carla Kleinhappel March 28, 2006

Read full summary and add your comments

Looking Beyond the School Walls: Household Decision-Making and School Enrolment in Afghanistan
This briefing paper explores key demand-related factors influencing decision-making about school enrolment of both boys and girls
in Afghanistan, and identifies ways to increase enrolment and improve student retention.

Added by Brandy Bauer March 20, 2006

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Corruption plays role in world water shortage -UN

Corruption plays a crucial yet nearly invisible role in depriving nearly a fifth of the world's population of access to safe drinking
water, a new U.N. report on water and development said on March 9. While supplies of fresh water are adequate for the whole
planet, mismanagement in its distribution helps explain why adequate drinking water is bey. . .

Added by Boris Demidov March 20, 2006

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JOB: Country Director

Country Director Mission East Location: Afghanistan Last Date: March 26, 2006 As Country Director you will be responsible for the
Mission East staff and programmes in Afghanistan. You will manage the country team consisting of expatriate and local staff. You
will be responsible for the overseeing, identification and management of projects . . .

Added by Jessica Matthews March 17, 2006

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Scientists Find Bigger Oil and Gas Resources in Afghanistan

Summary of USA Today article: "Two geological basins in northern Afghanistan hold 18 times the oil and triple the natural gas
resources previously thought, scientists said as part of a U.S. assessment aimed at enticing energy development in the war-torn
country." (March 14, 2006)

Added by Nadia Afrin March 16, 2006

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Afghanistan's Feared Woman Warlord

Summary of BBC article: "Amid the brooding mountains on the borders of Baghlan province, Afghanistan's only female warlord
clings to her remote fiefdom." (Mar 16, 2006)

Added by Nadia Afrin March 16, 2006

Read full summary and add your comments

Transformational Diplomacy
The United States Department of State is in the process of redefining its mission, and has coined the term "transformational
diplomacy" to indicate the new directions.

Added by John Daly March 16, 2006

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Post-Conflict Land Tenure: Using a Sustainable Livelihoods Approach

March 2006 - This paper addresses the application of sustainable livelihood approaches to access to land and land administration in
post-conflict situations. FAO Livelihoods Support Programme Working Paper No.18.

Added by Jean-Charles Le Vallée March 16, 2006

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Afghans to Drug Lords: Keep Profits Home

"Afghanistan will encourage its powerful drug lords to invest their illegally earned profits in the war-shattered country, according to
the governor of the nation's top opium-growing region." (Source: Associated Press, Mar 14, 2006)

Added by Nadia Afrin March 14, 2006

Read full summary and add your comments

Dwindling Industry, Growing Poverty: Urban Livelihoods in Pul-e Khumri

This second in a series of five case studies looks at the central city of Pul-e Khumri, Afghanistan and the lives of the urban poor
there. Long a factory town, the recent downsizing of the local plants has led to increased vulnerability among the city's citizens,
especially those who lack income diversification, though residents of Pul-e Khumri hav. . .

Added by Brandy Bauer March 14, 2006

Afghanistan Reconstruction Trust Fund

The ARTF is financed by 24 international donors.

The multilateral Afghanistan Reconstruction Trust Fund (ARTF) was set up in May 2002 to provide
support to Afghanistan in two areas. First, it will provide for the recurrent costs of the
government, such as the salaries of teachers, health workers, civilian staff in ministries and
provinces, operations, and maintenance expenditures; and bulk purchases of essential goods for
the government. Second, it would support investment projects, capacity building, feasibility
studies, technical assistance, and the return of expatriate Afghans.

The ARTF is administered by the World Bank under the supervision of a Management Committee
comprising the Asian Development Bank, the Islamic Development Bank, the World Bank, the United
Nations Development Program, and the World Bank. A monitoring agent has been recruited to assist in
ensuring proper fiduciary management.

The Trust Fund is jointly managed by the World Bank, the United Nations Development Program, the
Asian Development Bank, and the Islamic Development Bank. The ARTF succeeds the United Nations
Development Programme Trust Fund.

The Fund has emerged as one of the main instruments for financing the country’s recurrent budget deficit,
and is set to evolve into a major source of technical assistance and investment support for Afghanistan.

Afghan Civil Service Capacity Building Program

ARTF Financing Amount: US$13 million

This project consists of two components:

The first component—Afghan Expatriates Program (US$10 million)—will increase the contribution of
professional Afghans living abroad in the reconstruction of Afghanistan by enhancing public sector policy
and institutional capacity. This component also aims to close the skills gap in information technology,
engineering, and teaching with well-trained overseas Afghans, by providing local Afghans with
opportunities for on-the-job training to enhance their technical skills. Since September 2004, around 76
Afghan Experts have been placed in government ministries and agencies.

The second component—Lateral Entry Program (US$3 million)—includes a pilot phase, which aims to
place 100 lateral entrants from NGOs and international organizations in middle- and senior-level line
positions in government ministries and agencies for a period of up to two years to assist with the reform
and restructuring process, and to build institutional capacity. If successful, the pilot phase will be
expanded to recruit a further 1,400 lateral entrants. Since August 2005, around 85 lateral entrants have
been recruited.

Recurrent and Capital Costs Window

ARTF Financing Amount: US$888 million

Project Objective: The ARTF recurrent window finances salaries and wages of about 220,000 non-
uniformed civil servants, over half of whom are working outside the city of Kabul, and government’s
operating and maintenance expenditures outside of the security sector, including bulk purchases of
essential supplies. The SY1384 National Budget updated under the midyear review includes US$280
million disbursements from ARTF for recurrent costs. Over the last three years, the Government of
Afghanistan established a new framework for Public Finance Management comprising: the national
budget as the main policy instrument, a commitment to transparency and a centralized computerized
system, the Afghanistan Financial Management Information System (AFMIS), to issue checks and record
revenues and expenditures of the ordinary and development budgets. Parallel improvements have been
made in the Da Afghanistan Bank payment systems.

Education Quality Improvement Project (EQUIP)

ARTF Financing Amount: US$5 million

The project cofinances a US$35 million IDA project and will (i) provide support to schools and
communities to strengthen their capacity to better manage teaching/learning activities; (ii) invest in human
resources (teachers, principals, and educational administration personnel) and physical facilities; and (c)
strengthen the capacity of schools, District Education Departments (DEDs), Provincial Education
Departments (PEDs), and the Ministry of Education (MOE). The program also aims to promote education
for girls by putting a priority for female teachers and students within each component activity.

The Rehabilitation of Telecommunications Systems Project

ARTF Financing Amount: US$6.1 million

The project aims to establish international connectivity between Afghanistan and other countries,
particularly neighboring countries. The project consists of three components: rehabilitation of the satellite
earth station in Kabul, expansion and improvement of transmission links, and the billing and collection
system. The expansion and improvement of telecommunication transmission links has been completed
and is operational. Rehabilitation of the satellite earth station at Kabul will be completed by end-April
2006. The project is expected to be completed by end-December 2006.

The Improvement of Power Supply to Kabul project (US$7.4 million) is working to improve the
availability and reliability of power supply in Kabul by supplementing and extending activities financed
under Afghan-German Financial Cooperation. It has the following three components: partial rehabilitation
of Mahipar Hydropower Station, rehabilitation of 110 kV transmission lines, and supply and installation of
street lighting in Kabul. The street lighting component will contribute to improve security in Kabul, while
the rehabilitation project of the Mahipar Hydropower Station will finance the supply of tools, spare parts,
consumables, and the project’s supervision.

Microfinance Project
ARTF Financing Amount: US$54.3 million

The Microfinance Project aims to assist the government in developing a sustainable microfinance sector
that will provide flexible, convenient, and affordable financial services to poor people. The goal is to build
an integrated financial sector, and remove the barriers that separate the microfinance community from the
broader mainstream financial system. In just over two years of operations, the project has provided more
than US$28 million in funds, with US$17million as portfolio outstanding and is now working with 12
microfinance institutions (MFIs). Currently, the project supports a network of 128 branches, with more
than an 119,000 clients in 17 provinces and 120 districts. Eighty-five percent of the clients are women and
the repayment rate is approximately 99 percent. The sector now employs over 1,500 Afghans (two-thirds
are women) and has trained over 400 Afghans including 25 managers in microfinance. The project is also
expanding in the seven poppy growing provinces identified by the government to provide alternative
livelihood opportunities to poppy growing farmers. The project anticipates that it will support 20 or more
MFIs in the coming two to three years, reaching at least 600,000 poor households in most provinces.
Efforts are being undertaken towards sustainability of the sector and anticipation that most of the MFIs will
follow good microfinance practices and will achieve operational sustainability by 2007.

National Emergency Employment Program – Phase 1 (NEEP–1)

ARTF Financing Amount: US$36.8 million

NEEP-1 evolved from the IDA Grant-funded Labor-Intensive Public Works (LIPW) Roads component of
the Emergency Community Empowerment and Public Works Program. As of February 28, 2006, under
NEEP-I, over 2,500 km of rural access and 3,000m of cross-drainage structures were completed. In
addition, 98 natural resource management subprojects, 25 small irrigation subprojects, and four large
irrigation subprojects (in the Shamalan area) have been completed. Out of the 409 contracts awarded,
402 are complete, while seven contracts are in final stages. Overall, 99 percent of the physical works are
complete, and only final payments remain. Labor days targeted under the project were 4.4 million, while
labor days committed stand at 2.7 million, out of which 2.50 million have already been paid. NEEP-1 has
been further extended, after receiving additional funding of US$35 million through DFID, and US$2 million
from USAID. Preparatory works for subprojects to be undertaken with the new funding have been
completed, and procurement is underway for award of works. It is expected that physical activity on the
sub-projects will commence by April 2006.

National Emergency Employment Program for Rural Access (NEEPRA)

ARTF Financing Amount: US$16.6 million

NEEPRA is a follow-up project to the IDA-funded Labor Intensive Public Works Program (LIPW) and was
initiated in July 2003. As of December 31, 2005, out of 1,500 km of roads planned to be rehabilitated,
1,400 km have been completed. Fifteen bridge projects were planned (totaling 500m); 12 projects are
underway, while three projects have been completed. Similarly, 5,400m of smaller cross drainage
structures out of 7,300m planned have been completed. Out of 15 airport projects planned, six are
underway, and nine have been completed. Physical progress of works under NEEPRA is approximately
80%.
National Solidarity Program (NSP)
ARTF Financing Amount: US$97.9 million

The project cofinances US$185 million IDA projects to strengthen community-level governance and
support community-managed reconstruction and development sub-projects aimed at improving access to
social and productive infrastructure and services.

Outcomes expected are: (i) the establishment of a framework for village-level consultative decision
making and representative local leadership as a basis for interaction within and between communities, as
well as the administration and aid agencies; and (ii) local level reconstruction, development, and capacity
building which will lead to a decrease in poverty levels. Previous experience suggests approximately 60–
70 percent of program funds return to local labor, and nearly all of the benefits from the physical works
accrue to primary producers.

ARTF will finance the creation of Community Development Councils (CDCs) and block grants for 560
communities. Community-Level governance will be strengthened through the establishment of more than
450 CDCs, more than 180 of which will have representation of women either in the CDC or in councils or
committees.

NSP consists of four parts: Block Grants for communities to plan and implement sub-projects involving
reconstruction and development activities; Community Facilitation and Sub-Project Preparation to support
the establishment of CDCs, identification of local development needs, and assistance in the preparation
and execution of sub-projects; Capacity Building and Implementation Support; and External Monitoring
and Evaluation of the project objectives.

Achievements: Since September 2003, it has reached over 8.5 million Afghans (around 45% of
Afghanistan’s estimated 18.8 million rural inhabitants). Around 10,471 communities had elected
Community Development Councils, and over 14,000 community projects have been financed, of which
more than 4,500 projects have been completed. About 88% of the community projects involve
infrastructure such as irrigation, rural roads, electrification, and drinking water supply, all critical for the
recovery of the rural economy, stability, and governance.

The community projects financed under the NSP focus on social and economic infrastructure and are
based on the priorities of the rural population. Of the current 14,000 funded community projects, about
25% are for supplying drinking water; 21 percent for the rehabilitation of irrigation systems; 20% to
improve transport infrastructure (roads, bridges); 17% for the provision of energy (generators, micro-
hydro, solar energy); 11% to improve their livelihood and generation of income; 5% for education
infrastructure; and 1% for other investments. The NSP is active in 193 districts in all the country’s 34
provinces. As of February 23, 2006, US$166 million of block grant installments had been disbursed out of
US$214 million committed to community projects. The NSP start-up phase (US$22 million) was funded
under the Emergency Community Empowerment and Public Works Project in June 2002. More
information is available at http://www.nspafghanistan.org.

Repair of Kabul City Major Roads & Drainage System

ARTF Financing Amount: US$3 million

This project was completed by June 30, 2005. Its objective was to improve the transport services on
important roads within Kabul City through the rehabilitation of high priority road sections, as well as the
repair of drainage systems along these roads. This project was the continuation of a German-funded
project, through Kreditanstalt für Wiederaufbau (KfW) in Kabul City. Under this project, road repair works
consisted of 30 percent of potholes repair and 70 percent of overlay. A total of 47,300 man-days of labor
have been created by the road component. In addition, a total 3,660m of new drainage ditches have been
constructed, and 4,850m have been reconstructed along the roads. A total of 9,540 man-days of labor
were created by the drainage repair component.

Strengthening the Financial Management Capacity of Government

ARTF Financing Amount: US$5.1 million

Project Objectives: The objectives of this project are to improve the financial management capacities of
the Ministry of Finance and selected key line ministries and to increase donors’ confidence in the
Government’s financial management capability.

The project consists of three parts: A) services to assist budget preparation processes including
programming activities and preparing budget estimates of wage, non-wage and development
expenditures; B) procurement and installation of computers for financial management systems designed
to assist the development of systems and methods of standardization between line ministries; C) services
to develop and carry out training sessions on core financial management disciplines to key staff in
selected line ministries.

Outputs will include:

• increased number of staff able to perform financial management functions by ministry and
location
• improved timeliness and accuracy of payments to consultants, suppliers, and contractors
• improved quality and timeliness of financial reports by selected ministries
• increased financial capacity of line ministries to plan and manage development programs, thereby
developing sustainable capacity to manage reconstruction activities
• improved assistance in project and program implementation outside Kabul
• increased confidence in government transparency; increased flow of financial information among
ministries, the Ministry of Finance, and other stakeholders
• increased financial flows from donors through national financial system

Technical Assistance and Feasibility Study Project

ARTF Financing Amount: US$18.5 million

Project Objectives: The objective of this project is to assist the Government in developing local technical
and professional capacity to define reconstruction and development projects or programs. Ultimately, the
line ministries will be capable of independently preparing full projects or programs eligible for funding by
donors.

The project provides technical assistance to line ministries to design programs and projects suitable for
funding by key development partners or private sources. The specialists recruited help guide the
preparation and supervision of reconstruction and development activities, and to design and supervise
feasibility studies. In addition, the project funds feasibility studies by qualified firms to prepare
investments.

UNDP Police (LOTFA)

ARTF Financing Amount: US$21.636 million
Closing date: June 30, 2004 (Now closed)
Project Objectives: The Law and Order Trust Fund for Afghanistan (LOTFA) finances priority police
activities, including: i) nationwide payment of police staff salaries; ii) acquisition of non-lethal equipment;
iii) rehabilitation of department facilities; iv) capacity building; and v) institutional development.

This project is tasked with the following: payment of salaries and benefits; provision of uniforms; provision
of non-military vehicles, computer and two-way communication equipment, fuel, and payment of operating
and maintenance costs associated with vehicles, computers, and communication equipment. LOTFA is
executed by UNDP and the ARTF plays the role of fiscal agent. The United Nations Development
Program is responsible for reporting to the ARTF.

LOTFA’s first priority is the payment of police salaries. Police salary payments are critical to the reliability
and integrity of the police, law and order, and, ultimately, security. In 2003, this priority was met through
reimbursement of salary payments and the police force was paid in 32 provinces. Requirements for the
provision of non-lethal equipment were met through the purchase of 1,100 vehicles, spare parts for 3
years, as well as radio communication equipment for the Afghan National Police force.

The ARTF-financed Urban Water Supply and Sanitation Project (UWSS) provides US$41 million to
support the government’s short-term UWSS Program and has five components: Kabul water supply,
Kabul sanitation, provincial towns WSS, engineering support and technical assistance, and financial
support to the Central Authority for Water Supply and Sewerage (CAWSS) operations. The first tranche of
US$20 million became effective in February 2005; the second tranche of US$21 million became effective
in November 2005. Investment components are currently at various stages of procurement. The Financial
Support to Operations (FSO) is ongoing and is now generating detailed operational and financial data.
The Kabul water and provincial towns WSS components are based upon feasibility studies that have been
completed for Kabul (financed by KfW) and 11 provincial capitals currently served by CAWSS. In addition,
the ARTF has also financed feasibility studies for 11 cities not yet served by CAWSS. The Kabul
sanitation component is based on the strategic sanitation plan and associated Master Plan covering solid
waste, on-site sanitation, and sewerage and storm water drainage. Several stakeholder workshops took
place in recent months to discuss institutional, financial, and sector development issues. The
government's sector policy and institutional development plan were issued in October 2005. The
Presidential Decree to corporatize CAWSS was signed in January 2006.

The Emergency Irrigation Rehabilitation Project

ARTF Financing Amount: US$35 million

This project co-finances a US$40 million IDA project to help provide water to farms in the project areas
with improved reliable and equitable distribution of irrigation water to increase agricultural productivity and
farm income, improve food security and livelihoods, and reduce vulnerability due to droughts through the
rehabilitation of the national irrigation system in all five river basins of Afghanistan. To date, six regional
offices in Kabul, Jalalabad, Kandarhar, Balkh, Kunduz and Herat have been established to develop
institutional capacity at the local level. As of February 2006, 410 subproject proposals costing about
US$21.7 million to bring 71,000 ha of land under irrigation have been prepared. Out of these subproject
proposals, 323 subprojects totaling US$15 million have been approved; contracts for 250 subprojects
worth US$8.4 million have been awarded; and 112 subprojects valued at US$3.5 million have been
completed. The contract for the emergency repair works to Band-e-Sultan Dam, costing about
US$500,000, is progressing, and about 75 percent of the works have been completed, with full completion
expected in mid-April 2006. The contract for hiring consultants for monitoring and evaluation is being
signed. The work under the Feasibility Study of the Lower Kokcha Irrigation and Hydropower Multipurpose
Project on the Kokcha River in the Amu River Basin has been commenced.

Fact Sheet
Office of the Spokesman
Washington, DC
March 26, 2004

Progress in Afghanistan’s Reconstruction

The United States is resolute in its long-term commitment to helping the people of
Afghanistan recover from a generation of war and in helping them build a secure,
stable democratic government with a strong economic base. As our assistance
programs are vigorously supporting political and economic reconstruction of the
country, we will not allow Taliban leaders and terrorist elements opposed to
democracy and peace to succeed.

The U.S. is working together with the international community to accelerate the
progress of both stability and development. Total U.S. reconstruction assistance for
Afghanistan since 2001 has been $4.2 billion, including $2.2 billion in FY 2004. For
Fiscal Year 2005, we have requested $1.2 billion. The U.S. will attend the
International Conference on Afghanistan in Berlin, where donors will provide
additional resources for support for reconstruction in the upcoming Afghan fiscal
year. Consultations are continuing at NATO Headquarters in Brussels on the
strengthening of NATO’s support for Afghanistan’s stability.

With our support, Afghans have begun the process of developing and implementing
democratic governance. They have implemented the Bonn agreement, establishing
an interim government and approved a democratic constitution. They are rebuilding
government institutions, developing the Afghan National Army and an independent
judiciary and developing independent media. The next major step is the historic
national election set for this summer. Organizing the process across the country and
registering more than ten million voters will be an enormous undertaking. Operation
Enduring Freedom and the International Security Assistance Force will help the
Afghan security forces assure Afghans can vote in safety.

U.S. reconstruction efforts are helping rebuild a shattered economy, refurbish schools
and clinics, and equip Afghans to rebuild their communities and return to a normal
life. Our programs have already:

• repaired vital roads, including the Kabul-Kandahar highway and 1,300 km of secondary
roads;
• provided 25 million school textbooks;
• built/reconstructed 203 schools;
• rehabilitated 140 health clinics;
• vaccinated 4.26 million children against measles and polio;
• repaired electrical power plants, including initial rehabilitation of the Kandahar-Kajaki
Dam;
• initiated the construction process on the Pyanj Bridge linking Afghanistan to Tajikistan;
• repaired and reopened the Salang Tunnel, linking the country’s central and northern
provinces;
• supported registration of 1.4. million Afghans for national elections;
• completed 7,000 small-scale irrigation projects;
Ultimately, security in Afghanistan will depend on the Afghan National Army. We
have provided training for over 6,000 soldiers. Thousands more have been trained
for the police and border patrol. As part of this process, members of militias are
being disarmed, demobilized and assisted as they return to productive roles in
Afghan society.

2004/324

Released on March 26, 2004

Afghanistan reconstruction
18 Apr 2006 16:58:33 GMT
U.N. torture panel presses U.S. on detainees
By Stephanie Nebehay GENEVA, April 18 (Reuters) -The United Nations committee against
torture has demanded that the United States provide more information about its treatment of
prisoners at home ...

18 Apr 2006 14:46:55 GMT

AFGHANISTAN: Former gunmen surrender arms, return to civilian life
Three former militia commanders in Afghanistan's eastern province of Nangarhar have voluntarily
surrendered around 90 light and heavy weapons to the UN-backed Disbandment of Illegal Armed
Groups (DIAG) programme.

18 Apr 2006 11:00:01 GMT

Infant among Afghans wounded by U.S. patrols
By Kamal Sadat KHOST, Afghanistan, April 18 (Reuters) - U.S.-led troops in southeastern
Afghanistan wounded a new born baby girl, her mother, a five-year-old boy and three other
Afghans, ...

AFGHANISTAN: Regional health conference kicks off

17 Apr 2006 15:21:22 GMT
Source: IRIN
A four-day regional conference to discuss ways of boosting cooperation in Asia to curb infectious
diseases in the region started in the Afghan capital, Kabul, on Monday. Full Article...

AFGHANISTAN: IOM assists ex-combatants in north to reintegrate

17 Apr 2006 14:29:46 GMT
Source: IRIN
Said Kamal assembles a chair for a recently built school in his village. The 27-year-old has been
doing this work over the past year since giving up his life as a fighter under the UN-backed
Disarmament, Demobilisation and Reintegration (DDR) programme. Full Article...

Pakistani troops kill attacker outside tribal town

15 Apr 2006 13:17:15 GMT
Source: Reuters

Three Afghan police die, British wounded in blasts

14 Apr 2006 13:47:31 GMT
Source: Reuters

Al Qaeda Kenya bombing suspect killed in Pakistan

13 Apr 2006 18:25:31 GMT
Source: Reuters

Al Qaeda suspect in Kenya bombing killed-minister

13 Apr 2006 15:55:34 GMT
Source: Reuters

Al Qaeda suspect in Kenya bombing killed-minister

13 Apr 2006 15:48:16 GMT
Source: Reuters

MORE ON AFGHANISTAN RECONSTRUCTION

Displaying 1 - 3 of 3
1

U.N. torture panel presses U.S. on detainees

18 Apr 2006 16:58:33 GMT
Source: Reuters
By Stephanie Nebehay GENEVA, April 18 (Reuters) -The United Nations committee against
torture has demanded that the United States provide more information about its treatment of
prisoners at home ... Full Article...

AFGHANISTAN: Former gunmen surrender arms, return to civilian life

18 Apr 2006 14:46:55 GMT
Source: IRIN
Three former militia commanders in Afghanistan's eastern province of Nangarhar have voluntarily
surrendered around 90 light and heavy weapons to the UN-backed Disbandment of Illegal Armed
Groups (DIAG) programme. Full Article...

Infant among Afghans wounded by U.S. patrols

18 Apr 2006 11:00:01 GMT
Source: Reuters
By Kamal Sadat KHOST, Afghanistan, April 18 (Reuters) - U.S.-led troops in southeastern
Afghanistan wounded a new born baby girl, her mother, a five-year-old boy and three other
Afghans, ... Full Article...

Afghan reconstruction

Back to Crises

U.N. torture panel presses U.S. on detainees

Tue 18 Apr 2006 12:58 PM ET
where photographs of torture and sexual abuse of detainees by U.S. soldiers provoked outrage in 2004
-- the U.N. committee asked what measures had been taken to "identify and remedy problems" there.
Full Article

Infant among Afghans wounded by U.S. patrols

Tue 18 Apr 2006 7:00 AM ET
U.S.-led troops in southeastern Afghanistan wounded a new born baby girl, her mother, a five-year-old
boy and three other Afghans, when they opened fire on cars that had ignored instructions to stop, police
and residents said on Tuesday. Full Article

Pakistani troops kill attacker outside tribal town

Sat 15 Apr 2006 9:17 AM ET
Troops shot dead a militant who threw a grenade wounding at least two soldiers near Miranshah, the
main town in a Pakistani tribal region close to the Afghan border, security officials said on Saturday. Full
 Article

The International Conference on Reconstruction Assistance to Afghanistan was held, at a

ministerial level, on January 21-22 in Tokyo with the participation of the Chairman of the Afghan
Interim Administration, H.E. Mr. Hamid Karzai and other representatives of the Administration.
Japan, the US, the EU and Saudi Arabia were the co-chairs of the Conference.

Press Release

“TOKYO DONOR CONFERENCE ON RECONSTRUCTION OF AFGHANISTAN FALLS SHORT OF

EXPECTATIONS!”

BLUE PRINTS AND COST ASSESSMENTS

Reconstructing Peace in Afghanistan By: Omar Zakhilwal

MEASURE TWICE, CUT ONCE

Afghan Reconstruction Talk Fever by Dr. G. Rauf Roashan

Rebuilding Afghanistan by Abdul Aziz Babakarkhail Institute for Afghan Studies

Afghan economy in the war and pre-war period by Abdul Aziz Babakarkhail Institute for Afghan Studies

Afghanistan: A Nation In Anguish

Political reconstruction of Afghanistan by Wali A. Shaaker

Afghan Reconstruction - Testimony Before The Subcommittee on Human Rights By Sima Wali , President - REFWID and Member of Institute for Afghan
Studies

Considerations for political and institutional reconstruction in Afghanistan Thomas J. Watson Jr. Institute more

Afghanistan: Interview with Sima Samar, Minister of Women's Affairs Integrated Regional Information Network
National Develoopment Framework prepared for the Afghan Assistance Coordination Authority (AACA) (Draft copy)

An Introduction to the Economic Reconstruction of Afghanistan, By Dr. Nour Ali, former Minister of Commerce

Asian development bank: initial view of costs and programs

The Japan Times: Afghan aid could cost up to $20 billion

AFP: Japan to offer up to 500 million dollars in Afghan aid

UN appeals for urgent financial aid to Afghanistan

Special briefing on the International Conference on the Reconstruction of Afghanistan, Government of Japan

UNDP Donors pledge $4.5 billion in Tokyo

CONFERENCES AND SEMINARS

ROLE OF AFGHAN DIASPORA

UNESCO Education Conference on Afghanistan Rome, Italy more

Reconstruction conference in Islamabad, Pakistan more

Afghanistan Reconstruction Meeting in Tokyo, Japan more

Civil Society Meeting Bonn, Germany more

Afghan Reconstruction Conference Tehran, Iran more

Afghan Reconstruction Steering Group Conference, EU more

Preparing for Afghanistan's Reconstruction, World Bank more

Afghanistan: rebuilding essential structures to meet urgent needs, ICRC more

Recommendations to the International Conference on Reconstruction Assistance to Afghanistan, Human Rights Watch

Afghanistan: Preliminary needs assessment for recovery and reconstruction UNDP Full Report (In Adobe Format) more

Reconstruction of the Afghanistan health sector WHO more

As Afghanistan Calls on Her Sons and Daughters: Dr. Roashan

Will Diaspora return to help rebuild the country?

Exiles return to rebuild war-ravaged Afghanistan

Afghanistan: Focus on return of qualified Afghans

Afghan leader arrives in the U.S CNN

OPINION AND NEWS

FACT SHEET

Al Ahram: Counting chickens

Boston Globe: US cost to rebuild Afghanistan at issue

AFP: Afghan reconstruction plan finalized: minister

Carnegie Endowment Rebuilding Afghanistan: Fantasy versus Reality

IMF: Preparing for Afghanistan's Reconstruction

Afghanistan: Leading donor group to meet interim administration

AFP: UN implores donors as Afghanistan turns out its pockets

BACKGROUNDER

SECTOR WATCH

Afghanistan and the Asian Development Bank

Afghan Humanitarian Assistance: USAID more

Thinking about Aid Management and Peach Building in Afghanistan: Peace Path

EDUCATION: Educational Roundtable By Halima Kazem Institute for Afghan Studies

AGRICULTURE

HEALTH CARE

INFRASTRUCTURE

INDUSTRY

Hamid Karzai, prime minister of the interim Afghan government, holds a brief press conference after he arrived at the Haneda
airport in Tokyo Sunday afternoon, Jan. 20, 2002. Karzai will participate in a two-day conference on reconstructing the war-
shattered Afghanistan.(AP Photo/Katsumi Kasahara)

Members of Afghan women's non-governmental organizations share a laugh at the opening of an NGO meeting held prior to the
Afghan Reconstruction Conference held in Tokyo Sunday, Jan. 20, 2002. From left are Palwasha Hassan, Director of the Afghan
Women's Educational Center, Najia Zewari of the Afghan Women's Network, and Basera Sharifi of the Afghan Women's Networking
Initiative. (AP Photo/David Guttenfelder)
Co-Chairmen of a non-governmental organizations assembly Shigeru Endo, left, and Ishaq Nadiri look over documents during their
opening meeting held prior to the Afghan Reconstruction Conference held in Tokyo Sunday Jan. 20, 2002. (AP Photo/David
Guttenfelder)

Special Envoy of China on Afghanistan Reconstruction

Attending the Tokyo meeting on Afghanistan Reconstruction, Chinese
government special envoy Wang Xuexian says China has always been
concerned with the peaceful solution of the Afghan issue and paid great
attention to humanitarian aid to the country and its post-war
reconstruction.

China Donates Humanitarian Aid to Afghan Refugees within Pakistan

Wang Xuexian, Chinese government special envoy attending the Tokyo meeting on
Afghanistan Reconstruction, expounded the Chinese government's principled stand on
this issue in an interview with Chinese reporters stationed in Japan, January 21.

Presently, Afghanistan has put an end to its long years of chaos caused by war and
brought in opportunities of ethnic reconciliation and national reconstruction, Wang says.
As a neighbor of Afghanistan, China has always been concerned with the peaceful
solution of the Afghan issue and paid great attention to humanitarian aid to the country
and its post-war reconstruction.

New aid considered

For a long time in the past, China has been providing, within its power, humanitarian
assistance to Afghanistan, including the 30 million yuan worth of material aid extended
when the interim Afghan government was set up. Now the Chinese government has
decided to offer US$1 million in cash as the starting fund of the interim government, which
will soon be delivered through bilateral means. China's embassy in Afghanistan will also
resume work to strengthen ties with the Afghan side.

China will actively consider new aid it can provide after getting further knowledge about
Afghanistan's concrete conditions and actual needs, Wang adds. China sincerely hopes
that all ethnic groups of Afghanistan will treasure their national interests, conscientiously
honor promises and, under the effective aid of the international community, bring about an
early ethnic reconciliation, rebuild their homeland and enjoy lasting peace and tranquility.

Conference practical
The ongoing international meeting on Afghanistan's reconstruction is an important,
pragmatic one among a series of international-aid conferences, says Wang. All
participating sides have shown great enthusiasm for Afghan reconstruction, adopted many
active measures and made concrete promises. The Chinese government appreciates all
these efforts.

Wang also points out that during the reconstruction process, the Afghan government and
people should hold the leading power in their hands, other parties should fully respect
Afghanistan's sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity, Reconstruction of
Afghanistan is a long-term, comprehensive project that needs unremitting efforts to be
made by the international community and the United Nations should continue to play an
active coordinating role.

China's voice and action on the Afghanistan Issue

Afghanistan Must Decide Its Own Fate: President Jiang

"Afghanistan's fate should be ultimately decided by the Afghan people, and at the same time the United
Nations role is indispensable to the political solution of the Afghanistan issue," said Jiang in his in talks with
General Muhammad Aziz Khan, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of the Staff Committee of Pakistan.

China Actively Working for Political Solution to Afghanistan Issue: Spokeswoman

The Chinese Government has been actively pushing for a political solution to the Afghanistan issue, willing to
continue its constructive role in this regard and China will actively develop relations with the interim
government of Afghanistan, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Zhang Qiyue said on December 6.

China Willing to Participate in the Rebuilding of Afghanistan

As a permanent member of the U.N. Security Council and a neighbor of Afghanistan, China wants to see
Afghanistan realize peace and stability as soon as possible, and is willing to participate in the rebuilding of
Afghanistan after the war, Chinese FM spokeswoman Zhang Qiyue said on November 22.

China to Give Afghanistan $3.6 Million of Aid, Multinational Force Supported

The Chinese government has decided to provide 30 million yuan (about 3.6 million US dollars) for urgent
humanitarian aid to the interim government of Afghanistan and China voiced its hope that the new UN Security
Council resolution will be conducive to peace and stability in the war-torn Afghanistan.

India/Pakistan

A roadmap for Afghanistan's reconstruction

ISLAMABAD - Over the past few years, international assistance to Afghanistan has ranged from between US$200
million to $300 million annually, with most of it devoted to humanitarian relief projects.

This figure will be a mere drop in comparison to what it will take to reconstruct the country, ravaged as it is by more than
20 years of conflict, a three-year drought, loss or degradation of most of its infrastructure, depletion of its human resource
base and social decay.

Key parts of the economic infrastructure are impaired, including banking, treasury, tax collection, civil services and the
judicial system. Just the clearance of landmines alone from all mine-contaminated areas in the country could cost as
much as $500 million.

Against this backdrop, a three-day international conference on "Preparing for Afghanistan's Reconstruction" opened in
the Pakistani capital on Tuesday. The conference, organized by the World Bank, the Asian Development Bank (ADB)
and the United Nation's Development Program (UNDP), has attracted wide interest with more than 200 delegates from
around the world attending, among them a number of Afghans.

While there are no firm figures yet on the cost of reconstruction, the World Bank's first estimate puts the humanitarian
and development aid bill at $1 billion-$2 billion a year for the next decade.

As an example of other reconstruction programs, in the West Bank/Gaza (with a population of less than 2 million
compared to Afghanistan's 20 million) a total of $3 billion of reconstruction assistance was proposed in the first two
years. In Lebanon (population 4 million) reconstruction assistance was in the range of $400 million per year for 10 years.
In Bosnia (population 5 million) total pledges (for humanitarian relief and reconstruction) were $5.4 billion during 1995-
99. And East Timor, with a population of less than half a million, is receiving $350 million of reconstruction aid over a
three-year period.

At the conference in Islamabad, groups of delegates will discuss issues most critical to the immediate post-crisis recovery
period. These include agricultural recovery and food security, community participation and leadership, demobilization,
employment generation, mine action, private sector development and public sector capacity building.

The groups will look at the challenge of social and infrastructure development in Afghanistan which embraces education,
health, the role of women in rebuilding the country, water and sanitation, roads, irrigation, housing, energy and
telecommunications and the environment. The final sessions on Thursday will look ahead with perspectives from Afghan
participants, NGOs, development banks, the UN and donors.

Afghanistan was a founding member of the ADB in 1966 but the ADB's operations in the country were suspended in
1979. Now, the ADB has established a country team on Afghanistan, but first it has to find donors to cover the $16
million that Afghanistan owes the organization. Similarly, Afghanistan's $23 million debt to the World Bank has to be
cleared before it can be extended further assistance.

The ADB says that it has learned from its operations in post-conflict situations. In Cambodia it says that it should have
increased the already substantial resources allocated for institutional capacity building. In Tajikistan, it initiated measures
to establish appropriate policy and institutional frameworks before undertaking rehabilitation programs in the power and
road sectors. This sequencing, it says, led to more successful implementation.

Speaking on Tuesday, a senior UNDP representative for Afghanistan said that reconstruction should not be deferred until
a stable government is set up in Kabul: "There is a need to act immediately. Creating a peace economy as soon as
possible is the objective."

Reconstruction plan
The World Bank, in partnership with the rest of the assistance community, aims to:
 formulate a reconstruction strategy and plan for Afghanistan whose process and product would follow the model of
the Comprehensive Development Framework (CDF);
 design and help put in place appropriate mechanisms to fund and manage reconstruction;
 initiate full-scale needs assessments leading to the development of detailed reconstruction plans, and;
 develop specific plans for areas where the bank can be of help through financial support and/or technical assistance
(TA).

The reconstruction plan would have both short-term and medium-term components. Examples of short-term priority areas
include:
 agricultural recovery and food security;
 generating livelihoods for returning refugees and displaced people;
 supporting existing communities through provision of basic services and small-scale development and empowerment
programs;
 rapid rehabilitation of Afghanistan's main road network;
 expansion of the de-mining program;
 massive short-run employment generation through public works programs;
 re-starting and expanding key social services like education and health, with a focus on reaching girls and women,
and;
 human capacity mobilization for social services, infrastructure, and public administration.

Other elements of the reconstruction plan will take time to reach fruition and have an impact. Notable examples include:
 establishment of sound economic management institutions (central bank, ministry of finance, treasury, and statistical
systems);
 developing education and health systems that reach the bulk of the population (something which has never been
achieved in Afghanistan);
 developing a lean, effective, and honest civil service and institutions of public accountability;
 urban management, and in particular avoiding permanent large "refugee cities";
 enabling environment for private sector development - particularly to attract and productively utilize Afghans from
Pakistan, Iran, and the Middle East;
 export development, focusing on agricultural and livestock products and minerals;
 energy development and management, and;
 environment and natural resource management (especially forestry).

The 'economy'
Afghanistan's pre-war economy was mainly based on agriculture and animal husbandry. The country has a low
population density due to difficult topographical and climatic conditions (high mountains covering most of the country,
extremes of temperatures, and arid to semi-arid climate). In 1978, the last year of peace, Afghanistan was largely self-
sufficient in food and was a significant exporter of agricultural products.

Agriculture was largely concentrated in narrow river valleys and plains where irrigation water from snowmelt was
available. Manufacturing industry was largely undeveloped, with only a few plants established (in textiles, medicines,
cement, etc).

Afghanistan's strategic position during the Cold War period made it a large recipient of foreign aid, which funded the
running of the state without substantial domestic taxation. Macroeconomic policy was balanced, with budget surpluses, a
market-based, competitive exchange rate and modest foreign and domestic debt. As a result of foreign aid, the country
had a relatively good major road network, as well as some other infrastructure including major irrigation and
hydroelectric facilities. This modern infrastructure, however, did not extend beyond the main arteries and urban centers.
Social and other services (such as education and health) were largely limited to the relatively small urban sector.

The long drawn-out war of Soviet occupation and subsequent internecine conflict severely damaged Afghanistan's
economy. By the mid-1990s, most of the country's limited modern infrastructure was destroyed and traditional irrigation
systems had greatly suffered from destruction and lack of maintenance. Even more important than the physical damage
was the increasing breakdown of the state and civil society over time and the progressive erosion of institutions - both
modern and traditional - which had governed the pre-war economy and society.

Government-provided social services, which had never had a strong outreach into the rural areas, atrophied and to a large
extent stopped functioning. NGOs and UN agencies have essentially taken up the task of providing essential social
services to parts of the population, building on community-based efforts in various parts of the country. Inflation wiped
out the value of the Afghan currency in the 1990s, and at present the currency is printed by the Northern Alliance without
any monetary control. Agricultural output came down sharply, livestock herds were depleted, and large-scale industries
almost ceased functioning. Millions of Afghans became refugees in neighboring Pakistan and Iran, and to a lesser extent
elsewhere. This external population played an important role in supporting Afghanistan's economy through remittances.
And finally, land and infrastructure were widely and indiscriminately sown with landmines, causing enormous human
and economic losses.

There was a modest economic recovery in the mid-1990s in areas that became largely free of conflict. Agricultural
production increased; livestock herds sharply rose in numbers, taking advantage of widely available unutilized grazing
lands; and horticultural production also grew based on restoration and expansion of orchards and vineyards. Substantial
numbers of refugees returned to their homes with international assistance. The economic recovery was concentrated in
areas taken over relatively early by the Taliban. However, the deterioration in social services (particularly education) was
aggravated by the Taliban's social policies, which largely excluded women from work and girls from school.

The introduction of a certain degree of stability in large parts of the country also facilitated the growth of various kinds of
unofficial economic activities, most notably long-distance trade (particularly re-exports to Pakistan) and opium poppy
cultivation. Although these activities had always been present, they underwent unprecedented expansion in the 1990s.
Unofficial exports to Pakistan are roughly estimated to have exceeded $2 billion in 1996, and by the late 1990s
Afghanistan had become the largest producer of opium poppy in the world. Also falling in this category of economic
activities is uncontrolled exploitation of natural resources - timber, gems, marble and granite, etc - which have resulted in
extensive deforestation and environmental degradation, among other problems.

Most recently, Afghanistan has been hit by a severe, protracted drought, which started in 1999 and has lasted until the
present. Given the breakdown of the state and civil society, and consequent inability to respond adequately, this drought
has led to famine. Crop production has been halved and livestock herds heavily depleted, more than erasing the modest
gains of the early and mid-1990s. Large and increasing numbers of people have lost their means of livelihood and have
become displaced, either internally or to neighboring countries. Malnutrition has significantly worsened, and starvation
deaths have been reported. The impact of the drought, which would have been serious under any circumstances, has been
aggravated by the continuing conflict in parts of the country (particularly in northeastern and central Afghanistan), and by
the run-down condition of irrigation systems and other agricultural infrastructure.

In sum, Afghanistan's economic structure has been gravely weakened, distorted, and made more vulnerable through two
decades of conflict. Agriculture (including livestock), the most important economic activity, is highly vulnerable to
natural conditions as is demonstrated by the current drought. Trade activities are vulnerable to the policies of neighboring
countries, most notably Pakistan - in fact, there appears to have been a substantial decline in Afghanistan's unofficial re-
exports to Pakistan in the recent past, probably reflecting changing policies and stronger enforcement in Pakistan.

Remittances, another major source of income, tend to be more stable, but nevertheless they are vulnerable to changes in
economic conditions in the source countries. The Taliban's recent complete ban on opium poppy cultivation, which was a
positive move and has been largely effective, has sharply reduced the incomes of those small farmers and rural wage
laborers who were dependent on poppy cultivation and related work. Foreign aid, another important albeit smaller source
of income, has increased sharply in the wake of the drought but also is subject to fluctuations and severe logistical
constraints. The ongoing conflict has led to a transformation of social and economic networks. Although the majority of
the territory of Afghanistan has not been constantly at war, economic distortions and vulnerabilities affect the entire
country, and there is a pervasive sense of insecurity.

Afghanistan's economic situation has significant regional spill-over effects through unofficial trade, narcotics, terrorism
and extremism, financial flows, and movements of people. These spill-over effects tend to undermine revenue collection,
governance and the effectiveness of economic policies in neighboring countries, particularly Pakistan. The long drawn-
out conflict situation, without an effectively functioning state most of the time, has led to a situation where conflict-
related or conflict-enabled economic activities and structures have become entrenched, and there are significant groups
who are benefiting from the current situation and therefore have a vested interest in its continuation.

(Asia Times Online/Asia Pulse)