By IRNA,
London : Afghan aid agencies said on Tuesday that the international military intervention in the country is “failing to deal with the dire poverty afflicting the country”.
In a conference in London two days before the Afghanistan Conference, the aid agencies also called for a “radical change” in the strategy of the international coalition in Afghanistan.
The Afghan development groups and their international partners also called for a shake-up in the way aid is delivered and for poverty reduction to be at the heart of international policy.
Referring to increasing loss of lives in Afghanistan, Abdul Basir, director of the British and Irish Agencies Group (BAAG), said “millions of dollars are spent each day on mismanaged or ineffective aid projects by the international forces.”
“These resources should be channeled through civilian bodies and tackle the real problems of poverty,” he said.
According to Basir, Afghanistan is the second poorest country in the world after Niger and has the second highest rate of maternal mortality. Children under five have less chance of surviving than anywhere else in the world.
Sayed Jawad Jawed, chair of the Agency Coordinating Body for Afghan Relief (ACBAR), the NGO umbrella body in Afghanistan, also said in the event hosted by BAAG that Afghanistan has the potential of eradicating poverty if “international forces look beyond military issues and face up to the challenge of promoting genuine development and better government.”
“Over the past eight years, too much aid has by-passed Afghan institutions and been channeled through military-led teams into areas of conflict. Real development builds the capacity of Afghans to run their own health and education services, and for communities to develop their own livelihoods. It is not about quick fixes,” he said.
Jawed said the international community must not scramble for the exit door and betray its promise to help the Afghan people fight poverty and build a decent future.
Two representatives from the Afghan aid agencies will attend the London conference on Thursday to present calling for the eradication of poverty and greater efforts to protect Afghan civilians.