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Germany pledges additional 1.2b afs in aid

Germany pledges additional 1.2b afs in aid

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16 Nov 2014 - 14:02
Germany pledges additional 1.2b afs in aid
author avatar
16 Nov 2014 - 14:02

KABUL for better infrastructure and capacity building in more than 40 districts in the country’s north.

As part of Germany’s stabilization programme for northern Afghanistan, a budget per district of approximately 22 million afs has been earmarked until the end of 2017, the German Embassy in Kabul said in a statement.

Currently more than 115 construction and infrastructure projects have been completed and another 82 are in progress under the programme.

Together with various training measures for local administration, the continued support from Germany will help citizens in districts improve livelihoods and future development.

On the occasion of the announcement, Germany’s Ambassador to Afghanistan Markus Potzel emphasized:  “Germany is committed to continuing its support for the Afghan people in partnership with the new national unity government.”

He said they would remain in the country beyond 2014 as a close partner, bringing development and assistance to where it is needed.

“Our key priority is to help improve the living conditions of the Afghan people, such as provision of healthcare, education and better infrastructure, especially in remote districts that have little to no access to basic services.”

In the next three years, districts will be able to spend 1.2 billion afs in total to strengthen their economic and social infrastructure.

The proposed measures for the next three years are aimed at improving access to education, healthcare and business opportunities in remote districts and villages.

As part of its commitment, Germany recently handed over a new suspension bridge to Bangi district in northern Takhar province. The bridge now connects a population of 15,000 from more than 10 villages with the district centre on the other side of the river. Since completion of the project, more than 500 girls and boys could be registered to attend school in the district capital.

A further focus of the continued cooperation is to strengthen district administration and the District Development Assemblies (DDAs) through training, including participatory monitoring and quality control of construction projects or assessments of the environmental and agricultural impact of projects.

Other training measures cover conflict resolution and peace building, both in and between communities; gender mainstreaming; disaster preparedness and institutional development.

As evaluations of the projects have found, close cooperation between communities, local structures and national efforts leads to direct benefits and services for citizens.

Since 2010, when the programme was first launched, more than 60 schools and three district healthcare centres have been built, with a further 63 schools and local clinics currently under construction.

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