Islamabad

Development Cooperation with Afghanistan

Sweden has provided extensive assistance to Afghanistan since 1982. The Swedish agency for development cooperation, Sida, has acquired a long experience of development assistance to Afghanistan, in co-operation with Swedish and international partners. Until the overthrow of the taliban regime, the main objectives for the Swedish assistance were to save lives and minimize the effects of the civil war on the Afghan population, in accordance with international humanitarian law.

Since 2002, when the current country strategy was developed, the support to Afghanistan has slowly moved away from humanitarian assistance to long-term development co-operation. In 2004, Afghanistan was the third largest recipient country of Swedish development assistance, amounting to 345 million Swedish crowns, i.e. approximately 50 million US dollars.

During 2004, the main sectors of support were:

  • Good Governance - Rehabilitation of Afghanistan: through the World Bank-administered Afghanistan Reconstruction Trust Fund (ARTF) with 175 MSEK. The main focus of the ARTF is the rebuilding of Government administration and institutions;

  • Girls’ education: through support to the Swedish Committee for Afghanistan (SCA), UNICEF, and a Bangladeshi NGO, Bangladesh Rural Advancement Committee (BRAC). The total support to the sector amounted to 100 MSEK;

  • Transport sector and infrastructure: support to improvements, maintenance and supervision of the Kabul – Jalalabad road; developing the design of the Torkham – Jalalabad – Kabul road; and, a feasibility study of the Heart - Chagcharan road. Sweden also provided and installed seven temporary Bailey bridges in the Bamyan province and along the Kabul – Salang road. Total support up to and during 2004 amounted to 75 MSEK;

  • Democracy: support to the democratic process in Afghanistan, by contributions to voter registration and the presidential election amounting to 20 MSEK;

  • NGOs: During 2004 Sida supported the SCA with roughly 75 MSEK, which included programmes for education, health and disabled persons;

  • Mine action: support to the Danish De-mining Group and the UN for mine clearance and mine awareness in 2004.
3 Crowns