News - Afghanistan

Afghanistan still lacks political and economy stabilities despite billions of dollars in aid spent in Afghanistan over a decade, a report by the international Crisis Group said.

The United States and its allies still lacked a coherent policy to strengthen Afghanistan ahead of a planned withdrawal of foreign combat troops by the end of 2014, the ICG said.

A report released by ICG this week said: "Despite billions of dollars in aid, state institutions remain fragile and unable to provide good governance, deliver basic services to the majority of the population or guarantee human security."

But deputy Karzai's spokesman, Siamak Herawi told TOLOnews that Afghan government is only responsible for the amount of money that has been channelled through the government.

The report compares the severity of corruption in Afghanistan with Somalia and Myanmar.

"The impact of international assistance will remain limited unless donors, particularly the largest, the US, stop subordinating programming to counter-insurgency objectives, devise better mechanisms to monitor implementation, adequately address corruption and wastage of aid funds," the ICG said.

The ICG said in the report that as the foreign troop withdrawal progresses toward 2014, donor funding and civilian personnel presence may also turn down rapidly.

A decrease in engagement of international community would undermine "oversight and the sustainability of whatever reconstruction and development achievements there have been," it said.

"There is no possibility that any amount of international assistance to the Afghan National Security Forces will stabilise the country in the next three years unless there are significant changes in international strategies, priorities and programmes," it said.

"As more and more districts come under Taliban control, despite US claims of substantial progress, and the insurgency spreads to areas regarded until recently as relatively secure, displacement and humanitarian needs are also rising," ICG said.

Around $57 billion in aid has been spent in Afghanistan, but still the Afghan government lacks a strong and defensive army that could ensure peace and stability of the country.