5.3.b Afghanistan

• Landlocked
• 2013 - HDI - 0.468, 169th out of 186 countries
• The infant mortality rate was 117 per 1000 births
• 5.8% of women over 25 have had formal education
• 65% of the population lives off less than $2 per day
• Most work in agriculture
• Before 2001, the Taliban were in control of 90% of the country. Overthrown by the USA and allies however there has been a resurgence in the south
• By 2014, NATO had completed their mission however 10,000 advisory staff stayed
• Taliban say they will continue to violate human rights until all Americans leave
  • Increased civilian casualties
  • Domestic violence and inequality towards women
  • Disruption of 2014 election
  • Attacks on journalists for freedom of expression
  • Kidnappings and torture
  • Food security, partly due to the change to the production of drugs

• UNAMA - UN assistance mission in Afghanistan was established in 2002
• Hired a UN High Commissioner for Human Rights
• Want to work alongside the Afghan government and NGOs
• Aims
  • Promote respect for international humanitarian and human rights laws
  • Coordinate the efforts of all organisations and communities to ensure protection
  • Promote accountability
  • Implement more freedoms and human rights provisions in the Afghan constitution and the treaties
  • Achieve full enjoyment of their rights for women, displaced people and returning refugees (there are an estimated 750,000 displaced)

• Joined the Economic Cooperation Organisation
• Joined the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation
• Aiming to promote economic growth
• They have passed laws to promote fairness during elections
• 2009 - They have passed laws to prevent violence against women

• Aim to provide sustainable rural development
• They aim to work alongside the UN and the government
• Provide goats to those living in rural Afghanistan
• They are teaching families more effective farming techniques so that they can provide for themselves
• They are promoting women being able to work alongside the men on the farms

Nationally

• Local programmes such as Afghan Aid are far more effective than the top-down approach alone as local residents are elected to form their own plans and priorities
• 2014 - 6 million children are in school compared to just 1 million in 2001 and 40% of the 6 million are girls which would've never happened under Taliban control
• Accessed to healthcare has increased to over 50% of the population compared to 9% in 2003
• The maternal mortality rate has halved since 2001
• Life expectancy has increased from 55 to 61 from 2000 to 2013

Ghor

• Very inhospitable due to geographical and political reasons
• Poverty has led to people being forced to sell their livestock
• Basic rights are constantly neglected due to conflict
• Serious gender inequality - selling of daughters
• Limited access to services
• Rights are being met due to Afghan Aid who promote the locals to come up with their own plans with better agricultural techniques and including women more in society