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USAID | Afghanistan

From the American People

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USAID/Afghanistan Strategy

Click here to view a PDF of the Afghanistan Country Profile

Overview

Twenty-five years of war have devastated the economy, institutions, and people of Afghanistan. The U.S. Government, NATO, and international partners have combined forces to support the Afghan Government in a civilian-military effort to secure and rebuild the country and combat terrorism.

United States Agency for International Development (USAID), as part of the U.S. Government effort, is supporting the Afghan Government to provide services and security for its citizens. President Barack Obama’s Afghanistan-Pakistan strategy and the “Afghan First” initiative call to empower Afghan institutions to lead in development and reconstruction. Long-term development thrives best in stable conditions and USAID works as a partner to the joint Afghan-U.S. Government counterinsurgency strategy to implement programs that improve lives throughout the country.

Programs

INVESTING IN PEOPLE: HEALTH AND EDUCATION

Under the Taliban, 900,000 boys and no girls were enrolled in schools. Today, seven million children are in schools, two million of them supported by USAID and 37 percent of them are girls. USAID has trained 52,000 educators and printed 97 million textbooks. In areas with no government schools, USAID has set up 3,695 classes serving 52,504 students, 65 percent of them girls. To strengthen higher education institutions, USAID sponsored Afghan professors for master’s degree and short-term study-abroad programs and raised the quality of university-level instruction by training professors in modern teaching. USAID’s support to technical and vocational education is preparing Afghan youth and adults for an active role in a peaceful society.

USAID's Impact at a Glance

Infant mortality rate has dropped by 33 percent
Approximately 64 percent of the population now has access to some form of healthcare
More than 60 percent of the judiciary has been trained through USAID-sponsored programs
More than 70,000 loans have been extended to women-owned businesses
Five mobile phone companies together have more than 13 million subscribers

Afghan health remains seriously at risk. One of every five Afghan children dies before age five. With USAID and other donors’ support, most Afghans now live within two hours walking distance to a health facility. USAID support for midwife training has increased midwives’ numbers from 468 to more than 2,700 in eight years. Finally, Afghanistan, as one of only four countries in the world where polio is endemic, has achieved a 90 percent vaccination rate for children less than age five since 2002.

ECONOMIC GROWTH, AGRICULTURE, AND INFRASTRUCTURE

Afghanistan’s economy has been steadily growing at approximately 12 percent per year during the past six years. Direct assistance from the U.S. helps Afghanistan increase revenue collection, improve the legal and regulatory framework for private sector investment, and build the government’s skills to manage the economy.

Reliable infrastructure and energy networks are critical for economic growth. Viable, secure roads are providing the way to bring farmers’ crops to market, access to health and education, and regional trade. USAID’s rehabilitation of more than 2,000 kilometers of roads – including regional and national highways - is increasing mobility and strengthening trade. As of 2010, international donors have rehabilitated more than 83 percent of Afghanistan’s regional highways, including the majority of the Ring Road, linking national and regional population centers. Approximately 80 percent of Afghans live within 50 kilometers of the new Ring Road.

The U.S. and other donors increased power to two billion kilowatt hours through 2009, and aim to double power again by 2014. USAID built the Kabul Power Plant that provides backup power for 600,000 Afghans in Kabul, and is expanding energy infrastructure to provide reliable power to populations in the south and east. USAID also helped negotiate agreements with Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, and Turkmenistan to import affordable power.

USAID works with farmers to boost agricultural production and food security, provide market opportunities, and decrease the country’s poppy production. In addition, better water management and watershed conservation has resulted in improved irrigation of scarce arable land. USAID also supports the private sector to expand access of Afghan farmers to improved technologies, higher quality seeds and fertilizers and financial services.

GOVERNING JUSTLY AND DEMOCRATICALLY

Key Afghan democracy and governance developments included the National peace jirga, the Kabul Conference, and the first Afghan-led parliamentary election.

USAID initiatives helped Afghans meet key governance objectives in 2010. These include training over 16,000 civil servants in core skills; strengthening independent electoral institutions to support the historic parliamentary elections in September 2010 and enhancing assistance to a more independent Parliament. Important civil society results included development of a national network of 10 Civil Society Support Centers for 247 Afghan civil society organizations, creation of three regional media training centers, and assistance in founding the Salaam Watandar, nationwide network of 43 community radio stations.

In the rule of law and anti-corruption arena, USAID piloted an innovative new program that strengthens linkages between the formal justice sector and community dispute resolution mechanisms. The program has established elder networks and helped communities resolve disputes in four kinetic districts. In concert, USAID also launched major new initiatives to strengthen the formal justice system and oversight institutions.

Afghanistan Country Profile: 3/16/2011

Afghanistan Country Profile (Dari): 3/16/2011

Afghanistan Country Profile (Pashto) Version: 3/16/2011

Fact Sheet Badakhshan USAID Activity Overview Jun 2011

Fact Sheet Badghis USAID Activity Overview Jun 2011

Fact Sheet Baghlan USAID Activity Overview Jun 2011

Fact Sheet Balkh USAID Activity Overview Jun 2011

Fact Sheet Bamyan USAID Activity Overview Jun 2011

Fact Sheet Daykundi USAID Activity Overview Jun 2011

Fact Sheet Farah USAID Activity Overview Jun 2011

Fact Sheet Faryab USAID Activity Overview Jun 2011

Fact Sheet Ghazni USAID Activity Overview Jun 2011