Region 
 

Region

A Land Forgotten

It is difficult to suggest a particular formula to rebuild Afghanistan. A number
of practical measures can be adopted which would help the country avoid a
further waste of time and resources.

By Shahwar A Khan | October 2020

From what the world knows, the U.S. and Afghanistan struck a peace deal in February 2020 allowing the U.S.A to exit Afghanistan militarily with some face-saving measures. Donald Trump, a long-standing critic of America’s Afghan adventure has managed to pull back 5300 troops out of a total of 14,000 troops and intends to pull the entire force by soon. The deal was also signed with the hope of reaching a political settlement within Afghanistan. The Intra-Afghan peace process seems very difficult because of the weak Afghan government, presence of a very powerful factor known as the Taliban that controls most of Afghanistan, and groups like Al-Qaeda and IS-K that have been responsible for destruction in Afghanistan. So, the expectation that either the Taliban or the Afghan government that lacks legitimacy, will be able to ensure peace within the land is a mistake. Although Washington’s heavy intervention somehow provided legitimacy to Ashraf Ghani’s government after the highly controversial general elections but that has instilled more mistrust in the Afghani people. But for an honourable withdrawal, the U.S. needs to leave behind a stable Afghanistan.

Amidst all this, United States of America has lost its interest in the region. Afghanistan has always been considered a “no man’s place” which is evident from the world’s behaviour towards it. The country has long been war-torn and no one seems to care anymore. Now in its fifth decade, the Afghan crisis is in a dire need of attention and support from not just the host countries but the wealthy nations that have conveniently forgotten about the conflict and its consequences - primarily because it has dragged beyond its expected expiry date.

Pakistan has hosted the Afghani refugees for a long time. Pakistan is currently home to 80 per cent of the 2.7 million Afghans registered as refugees worldwide. After decades of conflict, Afghanistan remains a volatile place. More than 400,000 people were displaced inside the country by conflict, drought and other natural hazards. At the same time, just 8,000 refugees were able to return home through the voluntary repatriation programme. Yet global support for Afghan refugees and Pakistan as the host country, has been on the decline. These shortfalls, year on year, have put a heavy strain on refugees and the host, Pakistan. As programmes are scaled back, the host government has to deal with the fallout.

The most affected from this fallout is the youth of both Afghanistan and Pakistan. It is high time that the world community restores both the warzone and host country by investing in a school infrastructure, teachers and university scholarships. These efforts can help young Afghanis to make a contribution in rebuilding their home country upon returning. Investment in the education sector of Pakistan, the host country, would facilitate their youth to strengthen their human resource base for future crises. Training programmes should be funded by the international community wherein both the Afghanis and Pakistanis learn side by side such skills that enable them to earn a livelihood.

The most affected from this fallout is the youth of both Afghanistan and Pakistan.

Trauma led by conflict and terrorism is a leading cause of both physical and mental disability in Afghanistan and Pakistan. Most of the emergency care delivered in Afghanistan is provided by non-governmental organizations. Insecurity, lack of infrastructure, economic hardships, difficult access to healthcare facilities and poor healthcare conditions are all problems that need to be addressed. The UNHCR has received dwindling funds from the world for the reconstruction of the countries and the fallout of funds has put a strain on Pakistan more than it ever should have. Pakistan as the host country has been providing healthcare facilities to the refugees for decades, straining its own healthcare system. The world needs to urgently prioritize the health conditions in both Afghanistan and Pakistan, especially in wake of the Covid-19. The international community should play its part in rebuilding healthcare infrastructure in the war-torn country as well as the host country by providing training programmes to healthcare providers to meet healthcare emergencies. Investment in the healthcare sector should be the utmost objective in rebuilding and sustaining both the countries.

Moreover, the water and energy sector in both the countries needs the world’s attention. Afghanistan is water stressed because its geography makes it a landlock land. In addition to Afghanistan being a war struck country, this factor is a fuel to the fire. Pakistan on the other hand, is ranked third among countries facing severe water shortage. Availability of clean water to drink is such a big concern, putting the health of both Pakistanis and Afghan refugees at stake. Likewise, the energy sector in both countries is in crisis. Afghanistan depends mostly on imported energy from Iran, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, and Tajikistan despite it being rich in energy and being capable of producing energy to meet its average energy demand. However, that’s a hard nut to crack because of it simply being an area of conflict for years, the poor political circumstances and also because of its neighbouring countries being the irritants. Neighbours prevent Afghanistan from building energy plants on their rivers. Not only does the world needs to invest in energy and water projects in Afghanistan but the regional countries should also play their part.

For Afghanistan to have sustainable peace, efforts should be made to develop the community. A community development infrastructure can be built through community exchange programmes. That will help the Afghanis to experience multiculturalism and would make them tolerant and peaceful. It is high time the world realizes its responsibility towards restoring and rebuilding Afghanistan.

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