The Agency Co-ordinating Body for Afghan Relief (ACBAR) was created in 1988, as a response to the demand from the many civilian independent aid agencies and their international donors for a coordinated approach to humanitarian assistance in Afghanistan and for Afghan refugees in Pakistan. ACBAR's main mandate is to serve and facilitate the work of its 110 national and international NGO members in order to address efficiently the development needs of Afghans.
Over the past few weeks, inaccurate information regarding the disbursement of aid money in Afghanistan has been circulated (ref: Pajhwok Afghan News 26 of January 2010). Therefore, in its role as the coordinating agency ACBAR in consultation with its members would like to highlight some key facts and figures in light of the ongoing discussion.
To be noted is that of the 20% of aid money being channelled through the government during the last fiscal year (representing a budget of US$ 2.1 billion), only 23% was not earmarked meaning that 77% can only be spent in those sectors that have been agreed upon by the contributing nations. The remaining 'non-earmarked' funds were disbursed by the government as per its own priorities. Furthermore, 80% of aid money disbursed in Afghanistan by the contributing nations during the last fiscal year (representing a budget of US$ 8.6 billion) was programmed independently without the participation of NGOs. The information according to which 80% of aid money is channelled through NGOs is thus inaccurate. On the contrary, merely 9% of aid money is channelled through NGOs i.e. not-for-profit civilian independent organisations. The remaining 71% is spent through other structures such as the United Nations, PRTs, through the private contractors for conducting works in sectors such as construction, logistics and agriculture, and in support of the security sector (45% of aid). These actors are not a part of the NGO community in Afghanistan.
In Afghanistan, the term NGO has often been erroneously used. NGOs across the globe represent 'Not for Profit' civilian organisations that deliver basic and social services free of cost to the people; are committed to principles of independence, neutrality and impartiality of the Code of Conduct which large number of NGOs are signatory of; and provide full accounts to the government of the country on their financial expenditure and activities. In the context of Afghanistan however confusion persists and consequently the term often inaccurately includes a larger group comprising of revenue generating (businesses) and 'not for profit' organisations. The NGO community in Afghanistan have been supporting the population in need of their assistance for decades and have stood hand in hand with them during the civil war, during the various political regimes and now during its reconstruction period.
Private contractors however arrived later when the environment was more favourable for revenue generating activities. The private sector however remains an integral and important part of the reconstruction and development process in Afghanistan, as does the role of the NGOs/civil society in the development of the country. To conclude, the NGO community stresses once again that it is vital to differentiate between the roles played by the private contracting agencies delivering assistance and that of the NGOs, the two are vastly different in their philosophy, approach and objectives.
For media inquiries please contact:
Laurent SAILLARD
Director ACBAR
+ 93 (0) 706602570 / +93 (0) 799755001; laurent.saillard@acbar.org
Mohammad Hashim Mayar
Deputy Director
+ 93 (0) 700 284 323; pc@acbar.org