3/25/08

Falling short on Afghan aid pledges

The United States has not delivered $5 billion worth of aid it pledged to help rebuild Afghanistan, and other donors have fallen short by about that same amount, a report from humanitarian groups said Tuesday.

An alliance of 94 international aid agencies said the prospects for peace in Afghanistan are being undermined because Western countries are failing to deliver on aid promises.

"The reconstruction of Afghanistan requires a sustained and substantial commitment of aid, but donors have failed to meet their aid pledges to Afghanistan," said the report's author, Matt Waldman, Afghanistan policy adviser for Oxfam.

The aid groups' report criticized the large difference being what is spent on aid and on the cost of military operations. "This is a shortsighted policy," Waldman wrote.

Previous reports by aid groups have said the international community is spending far less aid money in Afghanistan per capita -- and putting far fewer soldiers on the ground -- than it has in previous conflicts.

[AP]

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