Development in Afghanistan

Following decades of turmoil and conflict, Afghanistan remains one of the poorest countries in the world (5th according to the UNDP Development Index).

• 1 in 5 Afghan children dies before their fifth birthday
• around one third of the population are eating less than the minimum daily calorie requirement
• under one third of 15-24 year olds are literate

Are we making progress?

Serious challenges remain. But we have seen real progress in Afghanistan since 2001:

• around 5.4 million children are now in school, up from an estimated 1 million in 2001 - over a third are girls who were officially denied access to education under the Taleban
• infant mortality rates have declined from an estimated 165 per 1,000 births in 2001 to about 129 per 1,000 births in 2005
• two-thirds of the Afghan people have access to health care, compared with 1 in 10 just 5 years ago

UK Assistance to Afghanistan

In his statement to the House on 12 December 2007, the Prime Minister said that Britain will make available £450 million pounds in development and stabilisation assistance for Afghanistan between 2009 and 2012, covering both long and short term priorities.

The UK has committed over £1 billion to the reconstruction of Afghanistan since 2001.  This includes our pledge of £500 million over three years, made at the London Conference in January 2006, which we co-chaired with the UN and the Government of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan.

Specific UK support to date includes:

• over 29,000 community projects financed
• 9,300 km of roads reconstructed
• over £179 million grants dispersed for local development needs through 17,800 Community Development Councils
• micro-finance, over £140million in small loans to over 375,000 Afghans

How we're providing assistance in Helmand Province

Since 2006, the UK has funded over 200 Quick Impact Projects through the PRT based in Lashkar Gah.

Of these, 81 were reconstruction projects and 52 have been completed.

Work is also ongoing on 50km of DFID-funded roads in Lashkar Gah.

• Watch BSN Footage of reconstruction taking place in Musa Qala, southern Afghanistan (02/01/2008)
• Watch BSN footage of the 'Modern Faces of Afghanistan' exhibition held at Canada House (18/12/2007)
• Watch YouTube footage of the International Development Committee in Afghanistan (02/11/2007)