USAID/OTI Afghanistan Field Report
December 2001
Program Description
USAID/OTI's initial Afghanistan program goal is to support USG and international humanitarian assistance efforts. Responding to rapidly unfolding events in Afghanistan, OTI designed a program to support the development of relevant and timely information on humanitarian assistance for the Afghan population, particularly IDPs and other vulnerable groups. Through a program based in Peshawar, Pakistan with the International Organization of Migration (IOM), OTI has increased access to information for the Afghan population on critical issues. Since the program was launched in October 2001, OTI has provided approximately $2.4 million in assistance. Future program goals and objectives will be determined by an assessment scheduled for January 2002. OTI's Afghanistan budget for FY 2002 is approximately $6 million.
Country Situation
Despite the current humanitarian crisis, a sense of hope has returned to Afghanistan's citizens following the retreat of the Taliban in November 2001. The international community acted quickly to fill the power vacuum and speed the transition forward. The UN Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Afghanistan, Lakhdar Brahimi, appointed an interim Afghan administration chaired by Hamid Karzai. This government took power on December 22, 2001. On January 2, 2002, senior military officers arrived in Kabul to prepare for a 4,500 member International Security Force that will patrol the capital and provide visible support to the new interim administration. A Loya Jirga (Grand Council) is set to convene within six months to decide on a broad-based transitional government.
OTI Highlights
A. Narrative Summary
The operating environment is unparalleled: an internationally supported political process is attempting to take place at the same time as a Coalition-led War on Terror, a humanitarian crisis and an emerging shift in geo-political priorities. The impact of these events on the implementation of activities is difficult to measure given OTI's limited capacity to ground truth within Afghanistan. The challenge for OTI is to be seen as a forward leaning partner within this complex environment.
Current OTI activities under the Afghan program include:
- The Afghanistan Emergency Information Project: OTI signed an agreement with the International Organization of Migration (IOM) to prepare a daily humanitarian information bulletin for radio broadcast. The broadcasts on the bulletin began in December and are now produced daily.
- Radio Distribution: In addition, IOM procured and is distributing 30,000 radios to vulnerable Afghan populations. Most of the radios have been distributed. USAID Administrator Andrew Natsios announced the radio distribution in a State Department press conference on January 3, 2002.
- Small Grants: Through IOM, five small grants have been provided to encourage the emergence of local, independent media. The grants provided for a media assessment mission, the creation of a press center in Kabul, production of a national cultural weekly newspaper, an Afghan press production unit, and equipment for the Afghan Media Resource Center, based in Peshawar.
In addition, four small grants have been provided to jumpstart the operations of promising Afghan NGOs and women's groups. The grants were provided to the Afghan Women's Network for a women's management training project (developed after a needs assessment with refugee/IDP women), a literacy campaign directed at women and sponsored by the Agency Coordinating Body for Afghan Relief, and support for the establishment of libraries, with special emphasis on programs supporting literacy for women.
- Voice of America Enhancement: With funding from OTI, VOA significantly expanded its regional capacity during the month of December, enabling an increase in special broadcasts covering important information about the relief effort.
- Support for Interim Government: OTI has provided funding for the UNDP Trust Fund, which will support the operations and activities of the interim Afghan administration established under the Bonn Agreement.
B. Grants Activity Summary
This table provides information on OTI's small grants program only.
| Media |
5 |
$163,220 |
| Civil Society |
4 |
$104,000 |
| Total |
9 |
$267,220 |
C. Indicators of Success
Despite existing limitations, OTI has pushed to implement its initial activities (radio distribution, humanitarian bulletin, and small grants), initiated dialogue with a handful of key Peshawar-based NGOs, and established critical relationships with the U.S. Embassy in Pakistan, the U.S. Office in Kabul, the Coalition Information Service (CIS), and the Coalition Humanitarian Liaison Center (CHLC).
D. Program Appraisal
A number of OTI's identified partners returned to Kabul to show their commitment to the interim government, "test the waters," assess the mood of the people, identify gaps, and interact with other NGOs and international organizations. OTI's inability to conduct similar activities at the pace of its' partners and counterparts effectively leaves OTI behind.
OTI's ability to move into the next phase of its programming will depend on whether it can quickly establish a presence inside Afghanistan. In the meantime, OTI staff in both Pakistan and Washington, DC continue to confer with potential partners and Afghan experts to ensure they can learn as much as possible prior to the assessment.
NEXT STEPS/IMMEDIATE PRIORITIES
In January, OTI is undertaking a three-person assessment mission in Afghanistan to examine reconstruction needs and political conditions. The assessment team will design a strategy based on building political stability, including community-based programming and developing linkages between communities and the interim administration. Following the completion of the assessment, OTI plans to initiate actions to establish an office in Kabul and assess the feasibility of establishing additional offices outside the capital. A small grants program is envisioned that will allow USAID to respond flexibly to changing needs.
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