Afghanis Starving

$52bn of American aid and still Afghans are dying of starvation. $52bn (£33bn) in US aid since 2001 has made almost no impression on devastating poverty made worse by spreading violence and an economy dislocated by war. That enormous aid budget, two-thirds for security and one-third for economic, social and political development, has made little impact on 9 million living in absolute poverty, and another 5 million trying to survive on $43 (£27) a month. The remainder of the population often barely scrapes a living, having to choose between buying wood to keep warm and buying food. As winter approaches, half of Afghans face not getting enough to eat, according to the US Famine Early Warning Systems Network.

A racketeering élite are the main beneficiaries of international support. Afghanistan was identified as the third most corrupt country out of 178 in the world in a report released last week by Transparency International.

"The US has a highly capitalist approach and seeks to deliver aid through private companies," says Karolina Olofsson, head of advocacy and communication for the Afghan NGO Integrity Watch Afghanistan. "It does not like to use NGOs which its officials consider too idealistic." Big contracts are given to large US companies that are used to a complicated bidding process, can produce appropriate paperwork, and are well connected in Washington.

Hedayatullah Hafizy, owner of the Noor Taq-e-Zafar Construction Company, says that there is a simple reason why the work is so poor. He says: "Let us say the main US contractor has a contract worth $2.5m. He will take a 20 per cent administrative fee and find a subcontractor, who will subcontract to an Afghan company, which may subcontract again. At the end of the day only $1.4m may be there for building the project."

People see schools built by the Americans as American property. That means they are a Taliban target. People are frightened of sending their children there.The US government policy of providing aid through large American private companies is proving a failure in Afghanistan as it did previously in Iraq.
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From The Independent