Rebuilding of Afghanistan is hampered by the Taliban

A five year plan to restore security, combat opium cultivation, and help development in Afghanistan was launched at a conference on reconstruction in the country in London last week.

The World Food Programme told the conference that “over 50% of children are malnourished,” and it reminded donors “that humanitarian assistance to poor and hungry Afghans—often living in troubled areas—is an important part of achieving peace.”

The World Bank warned that reconstruction “will be severely affected unless pervasive gender gaps are addressed.” It pointed out: “Afghanistan's health indicators are among the worst in the world, particularly in the areas of child health and women's reproductive health. As recently as 2002 the country had an under 5 mortality rate of 257, infant mortality rate of 165, and a maternal mortality rate of 16 [per 1000 live births]. Life expectancy was 44.5 years.”

The bank blames this on “lack of access to basic health facilities.” Only 40% of the population have even rudimentary care. The problems are compounded by a “lack of female staff at the existing facilities, particularly in rural areas; marked rural-urban disparities in availability of health facilities; and lack of infrastructure (roads and transport) and security that reduce mobility and access.”

Figure 1.

A teacher inspects a burnt out classroom at a girls' school in Logar province, 95 km south of Kabul

Credit: TOMAS MUNITA/AP

Last month the United Nations Fund for Population Activities opened the first police unit dealing with domestic violence, because “violence against women and children is so common that it has become a serious public health problem.”

David Saunders, the fund's representative, said: “Traditional thinking dictates that most women, children, and other vulnerable groups within the family accept physical and emotional violence as a normal part of life.”

Pro-Taliban forces in southern Afghanistan are increasingly targeting schools, teachers, and parents for encouraging girls' education. Three newly built schools were burnt down in a single day last month, and more than 30 have been attacked in the past three months.

Humanitarian agencies are nervous that the new British led NATO military mission will be mounting campaigns against opium cultivation and counterinsurgency operations alongside civil reconstruction projects. They fear that they themselves will be increasingly targeted as the distinction between humanitarian and security action is eroded by a military led “hearts and minds” campaign.

Dominic Nutt, a journalist who works for Christian Aid, said: “Humanitarian work needs to be seen as neutral. When troops are involved it's often perceived as war by other means.”