AFGHANISTAN: 15 Things You Should Know

Some alarming facts and figures:

1. Since 2001, Afghanistan has received more than $15 billion in assistance.
2. Afghanistan’s biggest donor – USAID – allocates close to half of its funds to five large US contractors.
3. Each full time expatriate consultant costs approximately $200,000 per year, and in some cases up to $500,000 per year.
4. According to the former NATO Special Civilian Representative, the cumulative impact is that 40% of aid to Afghanistan flows out of the country.
5. The US military is spending $65,000 a minute in Afghanistan ($35 billion in 2007).
6. Only 20% of teachers are professionally qualified.
7. Teachers are paid an average of $50 per month.
8. Last year there were at least 131 violent incidents directly targeting or impacting on NGOs, caused by both criminal and insurgent activities.
9. Last year 15 NGO staff were killed and 88 abducted.
10. WFP have lost over 100,000 tonnes of food as a result of criminal and insurgent attacks in 2007.
11. Agriculture and connected trades support 80% of all Afghans but donors spend a fraction of their assistance on agriculture. This amounts to $300-400 million over the last six years, or in USAID’s case 3-4% of their spend.
12. In 2007, the cultivation of poppy and opium was up 17% and 34% respectively, year on year.
13. Production has doubled in two years and now accounts for 93% of global illicit supply.
14. The opium industry is valued at $3 billion per year, accounting for up to 1/3rd of the economy.
15. Only 4% of Afghanistan’s agricultural land is used for poppy production.