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Information:
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Afghanistan
EXAMPLES OF OUR IMPACT
- Established more than 600 veterinary field units and administered over 45 million vaccinations and treatments to livestock.
- Registered 22,000 businesses through Afghanistan Central Business Registry (ACBR) offices in Kabul, Jalalabad, Kandahar, Mazar-i-Sharif, and Herat.
- Trained nearly 10,500 teachers in an accelerated learning program and more than 2,600 university professors on modern teaching methods.
- Inoculated 90 percent of children (approximately seven million) under five against polio.
- Maintained 1,523 kilometers of roads while building the capacity of the Ministry of Public Works to manage road maintenance by Afghan contractors in the future. Operations and maintenance activities employed over 6,000 Afghans at a cost of almost $3,000,000.
USAID/AFGHANISTAN SITE
afghanistan.usaid.gov
CONTACTS
Mission Director
Ken Yamashita
USAID/Kabul
6180 Kabul Place
Dulles, VA 20189-6180
Tel: (202) 216-6288
Tel: 0093 (0) 700-234-233
Email: kabulusaidinformation
@usaid.gov
Acting Afghanistan Desk Officer
Diane Ray
Tel: (202) 712-1298
Email: dray@usaid.gov
Of the six million children enrolled in primary and secondary school, 35 percent are girls. (Photo: USAID/Afghanistan) Overview
President Obama's Afghanistan-Pakistan Regional Stabilization Strategy and the "Afghan First" initiative encourages Government of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan (GIRoA) institutions to take the lead in the development and reconstruction of their country under severe conditions. In Afghanistan, the strategy focuses on developing the capacity of Afghan institutions to withstand and diminish the threat posed by extremism and to lay the foundation for a working civil society and high impact economic development. U.S. assistance continues to support basic human rights for all Afghans through programs that focus on gender, capacity building, and job creation. In FY 2010, the U.S. Mission's program set out to support the GIRoA as well as Afghans to create a stable and tolerant society with a market-based licit economy, improved quality of life, and effective and legitimate governance.
Programs
Infrastructure
U.S. Government (USG) assistance is helping strengthen Afghan capacity to design, build, and maintain roads; increase the supply of reliable electricity; expand access to potable water; and design and construct schools, clinics, and hospitals. While constructing infrastructure in Afghanistan is critical to the USG's short-term stabilization objectives and long-term development goals, such projects face many challenges. Most projects face combat-related security threats, physically remote and inaccessible sites, and difficulties moving equipment across rough terrain. Nevertheless, USAID infrastructure programs, in partnership with the Afghan government and other donors, are successfully overcoming such obstacles in order to provide power, roads, water, and buildings that support job creation and economic growth.
Agriculture
The USG agriculture assistance strategy in Afghanistan focuses on creating agricultural jobs and increasing both incomes and Afghans' confidence in their government. USAID implements programs to improve productivity, regenerate agribusiness, strengthen key value chains, rehabilitate watersheds and irrigation infrastructures, and strengthen the capacity of the Ministry of Agriculture, Irrigation, and Livestock (MAIL) to deliver services effectively.
Collaboration among USAID, the Afghan Government, and other USG agencies and donors has helped curb opium cultivation, with 20 provinces currently poppy-free. USAID and its partners promote the production of both high-value licit crops and the staple crops that are keys to both income generation and food security. USAID addresses constraints along the entire value chain, from production to processing to marketing and sales, and also works to strengthen systems.
Democracy and Governance
USAID's Office of Democracy and Governance programs support the establishment of a broadly accepted national government that promotes national unity and effectively serves the needs of the Afghan people. USAID helps develop the capacity of key institutions, including the Independent Electoral Commission, the National Assembly, the Supreme Court, and target ministries and institutions of the executive branch such as the Independent Directorate for Local Governance and the Civil Service Commission. USAID also provides training to Afghan civil society organizations to advocate for society-led reforms.
Economic Growth
USAID is working with both the public and private sectors to strengthen economic growth throughout Afghanistan. In the public sector, USAID has programs to enhance competitiveness through strengthening institutional capacity and promoting transparency; promoting land titling; and reforming the central bank. In the private sector, USAID programs strengthen small and medium enterprises, establish and strengthen business associations, and strengthen trade and investment.
Gender
The USG is committed to working to remove constraints on Afghan women, as their contribution to Afghan society is essential. USAID works across many sectors to improve the lives of women, including access to healthcare, development of economic opportunities, increasing literacy and educational opportunities, supporting women's rights, and strengthening women's participation in civil society.
Health
USAID has adopted a four-pronged approach to improving the health of Afghan people, especially women and children:
- Meet the immediate healthcare needs of the population by supporting the provision of primary healthcare services,
- Improve the health-related behaviors of individuals, families, and communities,
- Increase demand/access to quality health care products and services through the private sector, and
- Address the long-term sustainability of the healthcare system by strengthening the capacity of the Ministry of Public Health at the central and sub-national levels.
A study released in November, 2011 (Afghanistan Mortality Survey) showed that declines in maternal mortality and child mortality are consistent with the delivery of USAID health care programs. The study also notes that life expectancy for both men and women has grown from an estimated 42 as reported by the World Health Organization to 62 years. To access the study and the key findings, please click here.
Education
USAID's education strategy meets the urgent need for textbooks, schools, trained teachers, and innovative approaches to expand access. The education program develops the capacity of the Afghan Government to improve education quality while increasing opportunities in basic education, higher education, and employment skills.
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