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Afghanistan

USAID/OTI Afghanistan Fact Sheet Sep 2005

The U.S. Agency for International Development's Office of Transition Initiatives (OTI) began its Afghanistan program in October 2001, following the U.S. removal of Taleban forces from power. Working with central and provincial governments, national and international NGOs, informal community groups, and media outlets, OTI identified and supported critical initiatives that facilitated the implementation of the Bonn Agreement, which was designed to move the country further along the continuum from war to peace. OTI's rapid support for activities in Afghanistan's transition period also helped to establish credibility and space for longer-term development assistance.

USAID/OTI's program obligated over $67 million in Afghanistan from October 2001 - June 2005. OTI's fiscal year 2002 budget was $26 million, the fiscal year 2003 budget was $18.6 million, the fiscal year 2004 budget was $22.3 million, and the fiscal year 2005 was $800,000. These funds came from various sources, including Transition Initiative Funds (TI), International Disaster Assistance Funds (IDA), Development Assistance Funds (DA) and State Department Economic Support Funds (ESF). Projects were funded in 34 provinces of the country. OTI's implementing partners were the International Organization for Migration-Afghanistan Transition Initiative (IOM-ATI), Internews, the Voice of America (VOA), United Nations Development Program (UNDP) and Ronco. IOM-ATI offices were located in Kabul, Bamyan, Gardez, Herat, Kandahar, Kunduz, Maimana and Mazar.

The OTI program in Afghanistan has increased citizen awareness and confidence in the process of recovery, rehabilitation and democratic political development in post-conflict Afghanistan. OTI's program in Afghanistan had three objectives, to:

1. Increase the Afghan government's responsiveness to citizens' needs;

2. Increase citizen awareness of and participation in democratic processes; and

3. Increase the capacity of the Afghan media.

Program Activities

Projects were designed to reestablish relationships and routines that give communities cohesiveness; strengthen economic recovery by improving essential commercial and public infrastructure; contribute to sustainable stability and recovery by helping the Afghan government to function outside Kabul and respond to community priorities; improve communications infrastructure, strengthen independent media; and create and/or strengthen linkages among the national, provincial, and district governments. Local NGOs, community groups, and other USAID implementing partners were also engaged to facilitate linkages. Many projects also provided short term employment opportunities.

Activities included: providing essential goods and services that individuals and the market could not provide; improving essential commercial and public infrastructure such as reconstructing schools, public buildings, roads and bridges; repairing water systems; building women's centers and funding women's education and income generating programs, strengthening independent media to provide access to fair and balanced information, and providing information about the Bonn Process.

For further information, please contact:

In Washington: Elizabeth Callender, USAID/OTI/ANE Program Manager, Tel: 202-712-4078, ecallender@usaid.gov