We must not turn our backs on Afghanistan - John Holmes

Could 2015 be the year when the world again starts to turn its back on Afghanistan? Now that a tumultuous decade of military intervention has ended, and a new government is taking over, many in the international community appear eager to forget about the country and leave Afghans to handle their myriad problems alone. That would be a fundamental mistake.

It is not just western combat troops who are withdrawing: UN and embassy personnel are also leaving in significant numbers, as governments reduce their footprints in Afghanistan. In its rush to see the country stand on its own two feet, the international community risks cutting critical funding and support toAfghanistan too soon and too far, leaving millions of the most vulnerable Afghans behind.

At this week’s London conference on Afghanistan, the new president, Ashraf Ghani, will have his first meeting with global supporters to discuss the country’s future now that the Nato combat mission is at an end. Discussions are likely to focus on security and big-ticket economic and governance reforms. It is certainly important that the continuing Nato training and support role is backed up with personnel on the ground, and that international development funding does not just fall off a cliff. Ghani needs to make a convincing case for all this. But the elephant in the room, probably sadly undiscussed, will be once again the fate of those 7.4 million people, almost one-third of the population, still in desperate need of lifesaving aid.

It has never been easy to get attention for humanitarian needs in Afghanistan, given the long-running security and political crises. Following the massive investments of time and money and the loss of so many lives over the past decade, it is even less politically popular to talk about the humanitarian crisis that persists. About 670,000 Afghans are unable to return home for fear of violence, or because of Afghanistan’s frequent environmental disasters. This year alone, 140,000 people have been displaced and 150,000 people affected by devastating floods. A recent nutrition survey revealed that one in 10 Afghan children under the age of five is acutely malnourished.

Violent conflict has taken a particularly heavy toll. Civilian casualties have risen again this year, up 24% from the same period in 2013 – the highest levels since 2001. And while international staff are at risk, as unfortunately we have seen with fatal attacks against a NGO compound and a British diplomatic convoy, it is the most vulnerable who suffer the most, not only from the direct risk of violence but because of the disruptive impact it has on their ability to access healthcare, find work or send their children to school.

Despite the needs, international financial support for the Afghan people is already plummeting. The US, by far Afghanistan’s biggest donor, has slashed its aid budget by half since 2010, and funding is likely to fall further next year. Humanitarian aid has always been the Cinderella as far as the major donors are concerned, and nothing suggests this is likely to change.

Yet we cannot and must not leave ordinary Afghans behind.   Read More at Guardian