First there were questions about the political future of Afghanistan after the fall of Taleban government. Now the question is how Afghanistan would be reconstructed?
Afghanistan is considered the second poorest nation in the world. What makes matters worse is that it is also a war-torn country. The war has been going on for the last 22 years and there is no knowing when it will end.
Afghanistan’s economy was deteriorating even before the Soviet invasion. Economy was not faring well under the rule of King Zahir Shah. Factional wars and the latest US-led war against terrorism have completely destroyed the Afghan economy.
In fact, the years the Afghan factions were fighting each other for power is considered the worst thing that happened to the economy. These wars and the tragedies that followed have pushed the Afghani people, approximately 26.8 million, below the poverty line.
Agriculture and animal husbandry are the cornerstone of Afghanistan’s economy. Following the fighting, farmers had to flee and had to seek refuge in neighboring countries. Furthermore, Afghanistan has no industry worth the name. Its production is limited to wheat, shoes, simple garments.
As a result of such deteriorating conditions, the government budget of the year 2000 was only $82 million or $3 for every Afghanis citizen!
If this is the condition of the Afghan economy, what options are there to help this devastated country?
The head of the United Nations Development Program in Afghanistan said that the reconstruction of the country requires between $7 billion and $10 billion every five years or $ 1.4 to $2 billion a year. In addition, there is an immediate need for humanitarian aid — food and medicine.
Further, there is a need for repairing dams, irrigation systems and infrastructure including school buildings. The International Monetary Fund’s plan calls for setting up an external-financing fund for rehabilitation programs to be administrated by foreign experts. This agency will implement rehabilitation schemes, not those related to the government. Moreover, the fund will pool all the aid from donating countries and other international agencies willing to participate.
This is a good gesture to help this war-torn nation but all the efforts and endeavors would not be of any use unless the US-led military operations stopped.
It is not enough that military operations come to a halt.
A lot will depend on how the war ends and whether the US forces will stay or international peacekeeping force takes their place. Will the Afghan leaders and tribal heads accept the presence of foreign military presence?
There is no doubt that the Bonn conference will lead to the formation of a government acceptable to all parties including neighboring countries who have a stake in what is going on in Afghanistan.
Afghanistan needs long years of stability to tide over the after effects of war and conflict. One can only hope that the present convulsions will lead to peace and economic regeneration.
