$10 billion aid shortfall plagues Afghan reconstruction efforts

Western countries have failed to deliver $10 billion of assistance pledged to the Afghan government, and the United States, the largest donor, is responsible for half of the deficit, The New York Times reported Wednesday, citing a report published by the Agency Coordinating Body for Afghan Relief, a coalition of Afghan and international aid organizations.

Written by an Oxfam policy adviser, the report warned that a lack of sufficient funding had severely hampered reconstruction efforts and that development assistance which had been given to Afghanistan had largely been inadequate and in many cases wasteful.

The donation deficit between assistance pledged and assistance delivered can party be attributed to poor security, government corruption, and the poor organization of efforts on the ground. But the report argues that these obstacles must be faced for reconstruction to succeed. “The magnitude of the shortfall underscores the importance of donors increasing efforts to mitigate or adapt to such problems,” it said.

For the full article, click here.