Afghanistan

• Context on Afghanistan

  Landlocked, largely mountainous country in Southwest Asia.

  HDI in 2013 was 0.468 and 169 out of 187 countries;

  IMR at 117 per 1000 live births;

  5.8% of women over 25 received secondary education;

  65% of the 30.5 million population lived on less than USD$ 2 a day with the largest sector being agriculture.
• Context 2

  The Taliban is in control of 90% of the country, barring the 20 years the USA and the UK were at war (2001 to 2021).

  This was caused by the 9/11 terrorist attack at the Twin Towers in America.

  By the end of 2014, NATO combat troops completed their mission, and left 10000 advisory forces remain to train the Afghan military.
• Decline in HR

  Disruption of the 2014 presidential election;

  attacks on journalists and their freedom of expression;

  extra-judicial executions;

  increased casualties among Afghan security forces and civilians;

  domestic violence towards women and continued inequality in access to employment, health services and education;

  kidnapping, detentions and torture;

  the issue of food security partly fuelled by poppy cultivation, heroin production and the illicit drugs trade.
• The UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA)

  Established by the Security Council in 2002.

  Promote respect for international humanitarian and human rights laws.

  co-ordinate the efforts of all organisations and communities to ensure protection.

  Promote accountability.

  Implement the freedoms and human rights provisions in the Afghan constitution and the treaties to which it is party.

  Return an estimated 750000 refugees and displaces persons.
• The Afghan Government

  Joined the Economic Cooperation Organisation and the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation.

  Passes laws such as the Law on the Duties and Structures of the Independent Elections Commission to help improve the democratic process, and the Elimination of Violence Against Women Law of 2009.

  Attempts are being made to pass a law to remove the quota for the number of women in Parliament.
• Afghan Aid (NGO)

  Involved in sustainable rural development strategies.

  Co-ordinates its work with the UN and the Afghan government.

  15800 Afghanis benefit from the 54 km of new roads and bridges they constructed in the past 3 years.

  285000 Afghanis supported through clean water, sanitation and hygiene projects in 2022.
• One of the most geographically inhospitable regions in Afghanistan.

  Politically hostile and insecure.
• Poverty in the Chaghcharan district has led to families having to sell assets such as livestock.
• Basic rights have been neglected by the effects of the conflict e.g. serious gender inequality; selling of daughters; limited access to services such as education, sanitation and infrastructure; health; nutrition.
• Economic, social and political rights are promoted by local groups brought together to design, implement and realise their own projects.

  E.g. EU funding and Afghan Aid training have introduced more effective agricultural practices, reduced risk of disease by securing safe water supplies and improved hygiene.
• UN Habitat is working with the Afghan government (funded by the Japanese Government) to upgrade neighbourhoods in the 33 provincial capitals and Kabul.
• Denial of basic human rights plus rapid urban growth in Kabul (economic and security motivated rural-urban migration) has deprived local communities of many services.
• Consequences

  Afghan government is supported by international organisations to engage in local community projects.

  Bottom-up approach more effective since local residents are elected and form their won plans and priorities for the areas in which they live.

  In 2014, 6 million children were attending school with 40% being girls; access to primary health care had increased to over 50% of the population; MMR had halved since 2001; average life expectancy increased to 61 years.

  This has all been undone since the removal of US and UK troops in August 2021