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USAID/OTI Afghanistan Field Report December 2003
Program Description
USAID/OTI's program goal is to increase citizen awareness and confidence in the process of recovery, rehabilitation and democratic political development in post-conflict Afghanistan. Towards accomplishing its goal, OTI’s three objectives are to:
- Increase communication and interaction between citizens and government;
- Increase citizen awareness of the peace process, government policies and plans, and positive political developments; and
- Increase citizen participation in democratic processes.
Working with central and provincial governments, national and international NGOs, informal community groups, and media outlets, OTI identifies and supports critical initiatives that facilitate implementation of the Bonn Agreement. The Agreement was designed to move the country further along the continuum from war to peace. OTI’s rapid support for activities in Afghanistan’s transition period helps to establish space for longer-term development assistance. OTI has supported activities in all 31 provinces of the country. To date, 473 grants and subgrants have been cleared for implementation. Activities are designed to contribute to the achievement of OTI’s objectives by:
- reestablishing relationships and routines that give communities cohesiveness;
- strengthening economic recovery by improving essential commercial and public infrastructure;
- contributing to sustainable stability and recovery by helping the Afghan government to function outside Kabul and respond to community priorities;
- improving communications infrastructure;
- strengthening independent media; and
- creating and/or strengthening linkages among the national, provincial, and district governments;
OTI’s main implementing partners are the International Organization for Migration—Afghanistan Transi-tion Initiative (IOM-ATI) and Internews. To date, USAID/OTI has obligated $56 million for the program in Afghanistan ($27m in FY02, $19.6m in FY03, and $8.7m to date in FY04). Funding is from USAID Transition Initiative funds (TI), Development Assistance funds (DA), International Disaster Assistance funds (IDA), and from the State Department Economic Support Fund (ESF). USAID/OTI’s budget in FY04 is estimated at $25 million. USAID/OTI expects to phase out of its program following elections in June 2004.
Country Situation
AFGHANISTAN ADOPTS A NEW CONSTITUTION - After more than two weeks of intensive debate, representatives of a Constitutional Loya Jirga (Grand Council) agreed to a new constitution. Some 500 delegates took part in the meeting, including 100 female delegates from all provinces of the country. The constitution includes a strong presidential system of government, although presidential authority has been limited somewhat by the need for parliamentary approvals for such actions as appointments of min-isters, the chief justice and central bank governors. Article 3 of the new constitution states that "no law can be contrary to the sacred religion of Islam and the values of the constitution," while women’s rights are specifically included in the constitution, bowing to demands by female delegates.
VOTER REGISTRATION UNDERWAY FOR ELECTIONS - Voter registration for Afghanistan's first ever general elections began the first week of December in eight urban areas across the country, including Kabul. Over 10 million Afghans are eligible to vote in the 2004 general elections, which would elect a government to replace the current transitional one led by President Hamid Karzai.
KABUL-KANDAHAR HIGHWAY RECONSTRUCTION COMPLETE - Much of the road surface and several bridges suffered considerable deterioration, damage and lack of investment over the years, particularly during almost three decades of civil war and hostilities. Reconstruction of the country's prin-cipal road system is key to Afghanistan's economic recovery, as more than 35% of Afghanistan's population lives within 31 miles of the highway. The entire length of the Kabul-Kandahar highway is 300 miles. USAID reconstructed 242 miles of the highway; the government of Japan funded the reconstruction of 31 miles of highway, and the remaining 27 miles did not require resurfacing. The highway reconstruction has brought immediate benefits by reducing travel time from Kabul to Kandahar from two days to approximately five hours, and by linking diverse regions of Afghanistan (the north with the south), fostering national unity.
SECURITY SITUATION DETERIORATES IN AFGHAN CAPITAL - On December 14, a powerful rocket exploded in Kabul causing injuries. There was no immediate claim of responsibility, but the attack raised concerns about security in the city, where rocket and mortar attacks have been fairly rare since the fall of the Taliban regime two years ago. One mortar exploded near the American Embassy only hours after the visit of Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld. On December 25, an explosion at a compound where UN Volunteers stay in Kabul destroyed the wall and all the windows of the residence and the surrounding buildings. Days later, Afghan officials reported that six people were killed when a suspected suicide bomber detonated explosives strapped to his body after being arrested by intelligence agents near Kabul international airport. A Taliban spokesman claimed responsibility for the blast, which he said was aimed at International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) peacekeeping troops based at the airport, and warned that dozens more suicide bombers were in the capital. The deteriorating security environment has been linked with the holding of the Constitutional Loya Jirga.
USAID/OTI Highlights
A. Narrative Summary
USAID Administrator Andrew Natsios was briefed on OTI-supported activities during a scheduled visit to Afghanistan in December 2003. He was briefed in Paktiya province about OTI’s support to war-affected communities (Leady Initiative) in the east and south, and was interviewed live on Arman FM, Afghanistan’s first private radio station. Arman FM received OTI start-up assistance. Natsios highlighted the importance of continued assistance to accelerate Afghanistan’s transition to peace. Also in December, OTI continued to provide technical input and guidance regarding USG investments in the national pro-gram on disarmament, demobilization and reintegration (DDR), with a particular emphasis on reintegration. A total of $10 million, originally pledged at the Tokyo Conference, is being provided to the national program. DDR is considered by a broad spectrum of the population to be critical to the successful conduct of national elections, currently scheduled for June 2004. Implementing partners, IOM-ATI and Internews received support to continue with development of projects for the final phase of the OTI program, sched-uled to begin in January and end in September 2004. OTI received confirmation that its budget for this phase will be up to $25 million, which will continue to fund a national small grants program, a special initiative to respond to the needs of war-affected communities, and expansion of media outlets and pro-gramming.
B. Grant Activity Summary – USAID/OTI Afghanistan
USAID/OTI Grant and Subgrant Activity Summary for USAID/OTI Programming in Afghanistan October 2001 through December 2003
| Civil Society Organization Support |
12 |
$960,356 |
| Community Impact Activities |
293 |
$12,204,808 |
| Conflict Management |
5 |
$157,813 |
| Election Processes |
5 |
$3,222,839 |
| Justice/Human Rights |
6 |
$827,500 |
| Media (Development and Outreach) |
54 |
$5,555,699 |
| Transparency/Good Governance (primarily grants supporting the Afghan Government) |
107 |
$6,416,672 |
| TOTAL |
482 |
$29,345,687 |
Grants Activity Update for USAID/OTI Programming in Afghanistan
Month of December 2003.
A total of 16 grants were cleared by USAID/OTI in December with a total value of $803,332. Projects targeted difficult to reach and insecure areas of the country. Seven grants were completed in December. Almost all project activity in the southern provinces was suspended in December due to security concerns.
| IOMMZR031 |
Construction of Labi Ab Bridge in Feroz Nakhshir District of Samangan |
$6,000 |
Samangan |
| IOMAFG064 |
Support for Afghan Human Rights Commission Of-fice in Maimana, Faryab Province |
$70,000 |
Faryab |
| IOMAFG068 |
Transforming Water Mills into Micro Hydropower Plants in Four Provinces |
$152,375 |
Kabul |
| IOMAFG069 |
IT Equipment/Training, Ministry of Frontiers & Tribal Affairs, Kabul |
$65,500 |
Kabul |
| IOMAFG070 |
Logistical Support (Vehicles, Drivers) for Technical Assistance |
$20,000 |
Kabul |
| IOMHRT055 |
Construction of 24 Culverts in Lash Jowin district of Farah Province |
$36,834.35 |
Heart |
| IOMKBL095 |
Rehabilitation of Potable Water System in Pol-e- Charkhi, Kabul |
$55,000 |
Kabul |
| IOMKBL109 |
Agricultural Skills Radio Program for Rural Women, in Parwan Province |
$6,890 |
Parwan |
| IOMKBL110 |
Elections and Human Rights Radio Programming for Women, Parwan |
$5,630 |
Parwan |
| IOMOTI005 |
Technical Specialists: Thuraya Phone Usage for Sep-tember 2003 |
$6,986 |
National |
| IOMAFG071 |
Women's Vocational Agriculture Education, Lahskargah, Helmand |
$55,801 |
Helmand |
| IOMKBL100 |
Website for Ministry of Women's Affairs, Kabul |
$2,995 |
Kabul |
| IOMKBL114 |
Accelerated Learning for Youth and Young Women in Parwan Province |
$79,275 |
Kabul |
| IOMKBL115 |
Accelerated Learning for Youth and Young Women in Kapisa Province |
$77,724 |
Kabul |
| IOMKHD006 |
Establishment of Vocational Agricultural Center, Helmand Province |
$84,023 |
Kabul |
| IOMKHD007 |
Agriculture Training and Radio Programs for Women in Helmand Province |
$78,289 |
Kabul |
Support for Gender Mainstreaming: USAID/OTI’s support to establish 14 provincial women’s centers has been hampered by the need to obtain clear title to the property on which the centers are being built. Land titling is an issue that affects a large proportion of reconstruction efforts around the country. Securing titles for the women’s centers, which is on-going, is an important part of an effort to ensure central and provincial resources continue to be dedicated to women’s programming. During December, a ground-breaking ceremony was held for the Kapisa Provincial Women’s Center by the Ministry of Women’s Affairs. It was covered by Kabul TV. IOM-ATI has supported a total of 31 projects valued at over $1.9 million that specifically address women’s needs; however, all grants undertaken by IOM-ATI aim to ensure women participate as well as benefit from projects.
Support for War Affected Communities in the South and East:
To date, a total of 28 projects valued at $1.7 million have been supported by the funds for war-affected communities in the south and east of Afghanistan (also known as “Leahy Initiative” funding). Activities range from small scale infrastructure, such as weir in-takes, irrigation canals, bridges and culverts to housing projects. Projects are selected by representative councils to respond to community needs in Afghanistan’s highly insecure south and east. Due to a recent deterioration in the security environment in the south and east, USAID/OTI implementing partner, IOM-ATI has engaged local contractors and government officials in project monitoring in areas where IOM-ATI staff are unable to travel. Funds for a second phase of programming were received in December 2003 and three projects have been identified for support, including a drinking water system for a village in Ghazni province in the south where a UN worker was killed a month ago. The Funds for War-Affected Communities provides project support in areas where few other development programs are able to reach using a combination of local organizations and government officials and by engaging tribal and other local leaders in the process of project identification, implementation and monitoring.
Media Development: USAID is providing support to ensure that radio fulfills its potential as the only medium able to reach large numbers of Afghans. Through its implementing partner Internews, a total of 14 independent community radio stations will have been established, contributing substantially to expanding a footprint for radio access of up to 25%. Establishment of a private station in Kandahar, a former Taliban stronghold, was completed during the month of December and is expected to begin broadcasting in January 2004.
In addition to the establishment of independent radio stations, USAID is supporting the development and distribution of radio programming, as well as providing management and other central support services to promote independent radio’s long-term viability. Five new private and independent radio stations were established during the past quarter, among them Afghanistan’s third women’s station, Radio Sahar in Herat. The other stations set up during the quarter include:
- Radio Sharq, launched in Jalalabad city in September. The station is on air for 12 hours a day.
- Radio Tiraj Mir in Pul-e-Khumri, inaugurated in October. It broadcasts for 16 hours a day.
- Milli Paygham station in Logar province, inaugurated in October. The station broadcasts for up to four hours a day.
- Sahar Radio station, inaugurated in Herat in October. It broadcasts for 90-120 minutes each day.
The existing network of stations is already broadcasting important news stories facing the communities they serve: stories such as political developments, updates on infrastructure improvement, agricultural advances and educational opportunities. Radio stations will be set up in Qarabagh, Khost, Balkh, Konduz Chagcharan and Baraki Barak during the next quarter.
C. Indicators of Success
In response to a community-identified priority, USAID partner IOM-ATI provided support to construct a pipe scheme water reservoir in a village in western Afghanistan. Simultaneously, men and women from the community were provided two months of hygiene/health education, and learned about the importance of a clean supply of water for improved health. During the project period, the community mobilized themselves and formed a water committee to manage and maintain the system. The community elected a candidate to act as a mechanic and organized appropriate training. The community also agreed to provide 32 kg of wheat to the mechanic every year as his salary, while local representatives of a central ministry agreed to provide necessary technical support for maintenance. One community member had this to say about his experiences: “I am very happy to see that government authorities have finally visited our village to monitor development. In the past, nobody came to our village except to ask us to send our young men for military service. Since the beginning of the water pipe scheme project, government officials have been visiting our village to monitor and supervise the USAID project.”
NEXT STEPS/IMMEDIATE PRIORITIES
During the month of January 2003, USAID/OTI will:
- Support media implementing partners in the development and finalization of proposals for the next phase of programming and obligate funds as appropriate.
- Review and update the OTI grants database, which tracks projects and expenditures, and reconcile it with implementing partner databases.
- Develop an administrative close-out plan to begin organizing resources to support program close-out by September 2004.
- Recruit a Deputy Country Representative and a Media Specialist to join the OTI country team.
- Finalize a report on the first phase of programming for war-affected communities (Leahy Initiative).
- Begin planning for an ATI team retreat and team building session to be held in early February that will help refocus grant activities to support Afghanistan’s political transition.
For further information, please contact:
In Washington: Elizabeth Callender, USAID/OTI/ANE Program Manager, Tel: 202-712-4078, ecallender@usaid.gov
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