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OTTAWA - Canada will cut in half its development aid to Afghanistan once its combat troops withdraw next year, according to figures obtained Wednesday.
International Development Minister Bev Oda indicated on Tuesday that Canada would allocate 100 million dollars per year for development projects in Afghanistan from 2011 to 2014.
During the same period, Canada will send 950 military trainers to a base in Kabul to help Afghan soldiers take over security, following the withdrawal of its 2,800 combat troops from Kandahar in the south.
Figures provided by the Canadian International Development Agency show aid dropping from 205 million dollars in fiscal 2009-2010. Since the start of the Canadian mission in Afghanistan in 2002, aid has averaged 150 million dollars annually, peaking at 280 million dollars in 2007-2008.
"Building on Canada?s strengths, aid initiatives in Afghanistan will refocus its engagement on children and youth, and on humanitarian assistance," CIDA's Isabelle Bouchard told AFP.
"Last year we spent 50 percent in Kandahar and 50 percent nationwide. Now we will only be focusing on the nationwide," she said.
Foreign Affairs spokeswoman Melissa Lantsman said a total of about 10.4 billion dollars will have been spent from 2001 to 2011 on combat operations and development aid in Afghanistan, or "roughly a billion dollars a year."
"The estimated cost of Canada?s engagement in Afghanistan from 2011 to 2014 is 700 million dollars a year over three years," she said, "although final costs will not be known until after 2014."
Civilian aid workers are expected to transition along with Canadian troops to the Kabul area or return to Canada, and their work in Kandahar province would be assumed by the Americans who are already gradually taking over operations of the Kandahar provincial reconstruction team.
The Dahla Dam in Kandahar, one of two big reconstruction projects undertaken by Canada -- the other being the restoration of 50 schools in Afghanistan -- is expected to be completed in 2011.
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