Paris Conference Must Result in More and Smarter Aid to Afghanistan, Oxfam Says

Posted: 12 June 2008

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WASHINGTON, DC — Governments meeting in Paris, on Thusday June 12th, to discuss Afghanistan must give more aid and ensure it is spent more effectively if the country is to enjoy peace and stability, international aid agency Oxfam said.

Foreign aid accounts for 90 percent of public expenditure in Afghanistan, so how aid is spent has an enormous impact on the lives of almost all Afghans and will determine the success of reconstruction and development.

Matt Waldman, Afghanistan policy advisor for Oxfam International, said:

“So far, international aid to Afghanistan has not gone far enough to alleviate the poverty and suffering of the Afghan people. The amount of international aid has been wholly insufficient given the huge job of reconstruction in Afghanistan. Of the aid that has been given, too much has been driven by the priorities of the international community and its security concerns rather meeting the needs of the people and building a more effective state.

“This is a critical meeting, which will map out the direction that donors will take to rebuild Afghanistan. Too often, the country has suffered from bold promises which are soon forgotten.

“International donors meeting today must pledge more aid, but they must also make sure the money is spent better. More funds need to go through the Afghan government, whose capacity and accountability must be strengthened. Donors should agree to be open and transparent with the Afghan government on the assistance they provide and the programs they conduct. Less money should be spent on for-profit, private contracting firms and consultants. Aid needs to be more transparent and better monitored, with the emphasis being on getting help to the poorest Afghans in rural areas.”

Oxfam would like to see:

Donors committed to full transparency on their aid flows to Afghanistan;
properly established indicators of aid effectiveness;
the government of Afghanistan and donors undertake a full assessment of the reconstruction, development and humanitarian needs in Afghanistan;
better coordination among donors and between donors and the Afghan government;
increased and better support to agriculture and to rural developments; and
strenghtened capacity of the Afghan civil society to hold the Afghan government accountable.