Afghanistan
New Zealand’s aid to Afghanistan is based in the Bamyan province and focuses on rural economic development, social development, community safety and justice.
Snapshot
- Afghanistan has a population of around 30 million, with up to 500,000 in Bamyan Province.
- Afghanistan struggled with poverty prior to the Russian invasion in 1979. Since then, on-going armed conflict and human rights violations have hindered Afghanistan's ability to develop.
- Afghanistan ranks 172nd in the Human Development Index, and the Human Poverty Index. Results for Afghanistan remain among the worst in the world.
- Youth literacy rates are extremely low with 57% of males and 87% of females over the age of 15 years unable to read or write.
- Life expectancy at birth is one of the world's worst, at 44-49 years.
Development challenges
- The situation in Afghanistan is compounded in Bamyan, which has experienced a century of social neglect and isolation coupled with harsh climatic conditions.
- Bamyan province has one of the poorest maternal and child health indicators in Afghanistan and the world, and the ethnic minority Hazara population has suffered long-term discrimination.
- Bamyan's history of conflict and human rights abuses committed during the Taliban occupation, coupled with the lack of physical infrastructure, means the people of Bamyan and its surrounding districts remain in great need of assistance.
New Zealand Aid Programme activities
New Zealand is committed to a credible and sustainable transition of Bamyan to the Afghan government and has increased its development assistance up to $43 million over the following three years.
New Zealand’s aid to Afghanistan is focused on Bamyan province in three priority areas: rural economic development (including agriculture, renewable energy and tourism development); the delivery of education and health services; and improved community safety and access to justice.
Rural economic development
In recognition of the essential role sustainable economic development plays in developing communities, New Zealand is supporting agricultural initiatives to lift farm productivity and build agri-business opportunities.Support to tourism, in combination with the development of energy solutions for Bamyan Town, is expected to improve economic opportunities across Bamyan Province.
Social development
Health and education are key focal areas of New Zealand’s Aid Programme, with a particular focus on the health of women and children, provision of basic health services in remote communities and delivery of essential hospital services to the people of Bamyan Province. Education initiatives support pre- and in-service teacher training and capacity building of faculty and management institutes.
Community safety and justice
Issues in community safety and access to justice are being met by the New Zealand Provincial Reconstruction Team (PRT) and the New Zealand Police through the training and mentoring of Afghan National Police, including increasing women’s participation at all levels of policing and providing human rights training across justice sector institutions. Support is also provided directly to the Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission (AIHRC), which is an Afghan organisation dedicated to the preservation of human rights and the investigation of human rights abuses.
