Kabul, Afghanistan; March 30, 2022—Integrity Watch Afghanistan calls on the participants of the London Conference on Afghanistan that will be held on March 31, 2022 to continue financial support to Afghan people and in so doing, ensure independent oversight so that the financial support is used effectively.
Sayed Ikram Afzali, Executive Director of Integrity Watch Afghanistan, stated, “the initial target of the host countries to raise US$ 4.4 billion for Afghanistan is very encouraging. However, expenditure of this aid would only be effective if there is strong oversight in place.” He added that while emergency humanitarian aid is immediately needed to prevent a humanitarian crisis, it is also critical to focus on the provision of development aid to help rebuild the Afghanistan economy towards sustainability and the corresponding reduction in aid dependency.
Mr. Afzali stated that the Afghan health and education sector have been dependent on the aid from the international community over the last twenty years. “Without continuation of this support, it will not be possible to provide the minimum health and education services in Afghanistan for the foreseeable future,” he added.
There is also a need for basic governance structures to be put into in place to ensure that principles such as aid transparency, accountability, and public participation are implemented by aid actors including the NGOs and UN agencies to ensure aid reaches those most in need. The role of grassroots level communities is critical both in the design of projects by implementing agencies and in holding service providers accountable.
Mr. Afzali added, “In addition to the need for mentioned basic governance structures there is a great need for such matters as data collection, analysis and policy recommendations and having independent oversight by civil society organizations which would complement the role of citizens and would ensure at a minimum a level of aid effectiveness.” He demanded from all stakeholders to ensure the independent role of civil society to provide the necessary oversight on the expenditure of aid.
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Mohammad Naser Timory, Head of Advocacy & Communications, +93794610003
