Afghan aid report

The international community has pledged $25 billion dollars to Afghanistan since 2001, but an umbrella organization for Afghanistan’s relief says the country has only received $15 billion so far. The group also reports that aid money coming into the country hasn’t stayed there, and that 40% has cycled back to the donor countries through consultancies. The country relies on donations for 90% of its funding and what’s been given is hampering rebuild efforts in the country. this Oxfam analyst wrote the report and says the life expectancy in Afghanistan is low because of the lack of aid. Aid agencies maintain a disproportionate amount of funding is being used for political and military objectives rather than reducing poverty. According to the report, the US has only delivered half of the amount it pledged. The former USAID head says the effort has been slow because of the Taliban. The Afghanistan government says aid efforts would be more smoothly if aid was challenged directly through to their government and this aid worker and researcher agrees. She says there’s always danger aid money ends up feeding aid efforts themselves. The World Bank’s rep in Afghanistan called today’s report interesting.