Humanitarian Assistance in Afghanistan

My name is Sultan M. Khamoush, and I am pleased to join JEN-Afghanistan since January 19th, 2010 as a field officer at  the Charikar office.

During the past three decades of war in Afghanistan, various problems plagued the country in many areas – humanitarian, political, economical, cultural and so on. It has been eight years since the overthrow of the Taliban regime, and despite the billions of dollars the international community spend on aid, Afghanistan still remains in poverty and political instability. Women and children are seen in the streets of Kabul and other provinces begging for survival.
It is therefore evident that the Afghan government is yet to develop adequate strategies to bring changes in the lives of their citizens; there are problems of corruption, slow development, and the general perception that some government officials lack clear work plans or have policies that overlap or are incomprehensive.
Humanitarian assistance exists to alleviate this problem. When people are displaced from their homes, we investigate their situation and provide assistance and protection. For instance, we speak to those who instigated the conflicts so that people may return to their homes in peace.

There is, however, lack of understanding in Afghanistan about the problem of refugees and internal displacement; no one fully understands how these people become displaced on a short-or long-term basis. There is lack of information on the current situation including how many people have been displaced and how many have already made their ways home.
A rigorous program is called for to assist poverty reduction and deliver humanitarian assistance through NGOs, international community, and the Afghan government to the poor in urban and rural areas. It is, furthermore, imperative that NGOs ensure that funds flow in from governments and international communities in a fair and effective route. It is extremely important that funds are not politically charged and assistance delivered fairly, regardless of the backgrounds of its beneficiaries.

I hope for the better future to all Afghan citizens, and will continue working hard until efforts of humanitarian organizations that assist Afghan people even at difficult times to stand on their own feet, bear fruit.