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Launch of the Department for International Development's Afghanistan country plan

DEPARTMENT FOR INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT News Release issued by COI News Distribution Service on 29 April 2009

The Department for International Development's (DFID) Country Plan for Afghanistan was launched today by Secretary of State Douglas Alexander.

The Plan sets out the framework for Britain's aid to the country for the next four years with a pledge of over £127 million a year in assistance between now and 2013, a total of £510 million.

That includes a commitment of £225 million to provide direct support for the Government of Afghanistan's spending on basic services, including education and health, and its plans for investment to create much-needed jobs.

The plan also includes £30 million to help the Government provide new opportunities in farming and business for people in rural areas who may otherwise rely on the opium trade to make a living.

The UK is the second largest national provider of aid to Afghanistan.

DFID's support to Afghanistan forms part of the UK Government's strategy for the region, set out by the Prime Minister today. Our work to help Afghanistan function as a responsible and accountable state will improve stability across the region - which will help ensure security for the UK.

In Pakistan, we have already pledged to spend £665 million over the same four-year period. That will help the government achieve its vision of becoming a stable, economically and socially developed country, and so will address challenges which affect the whole region.

Douglas Alexander said:

"The last seven years has seen real progress towards the goal of a prosperous and peaceful Afghanistan led by a government that represents and delivers for all Afghans. The task now is to build on the progress made in the last seven years, to enable Afghans to secure and govern their country.

"Today I want to re-affirm our long-term commitment to help the country's government and people by launching our four-year country plan for Afghanistan with a promise to provide £510 million in aid over this period.

"More than half of this money will be channelled through the Government so that it can continue to grow in strength and build closer links between its citizens and the state through improvements in security, justice and basic services.

"We want to build on progress already made to help the Afghanistan Government to develop the country economically because people need jobs and the economic opportunity to support their families without resorting to the opium trade.

"Afghanistan needs to provide economic opportunities for its people - a task made more, not less, urgent by the current global economic downturn.

"We need to help Afghans create employment opportunities for women and men, tackling the barriers to the growth of a strong private sector economy.

"Helping both Afghanistan and Pakistan to ensure their own security, stability, growth and development is vital both for the Afghan and Pakistani people, and for our own national security".

Notes to editors:

DFID has highlighted four priorities for supporting the people of Afghanistan:
* DFID's top priority is to help the Government of Afghanistan manage its own budgets, tackle corruption, and provide fair justice systems to help people resolve disputes peacefully.
* We want to help the government to create jobs by investing in agriculture, and by enabling Afghans to set up successful businesses.
* Working closely with the Foreign Office and military we will seek to bring security, government and development to the people of Helmand, including by providing vital infrastructure such as roads and power. Success here is vital to Afghanistan's future.
* We will help combat the opium trade, which undermines Afghanistan's economy and its institutions. We will help the government to provide new opportunities to those who may otherwise rely on poppy cultivation.
We will help the international community, led by the UN, to coordinate its aid to make sure assistance reaches those most in need. And because Afghanistan is vulnerable to humanitarian crises, such as famine, we will work to ensure immediate and direct support is given to those affected.

The £225 million for government budgets will be spent through the Afghanistan Reconstruction Trust Fund (ARTF). The ARTF was created in 2002 as an emergency financing instrument for the Afghan Government, is managed by the World Bank, and has contributions from 27 donors. ARTF support is linked to benchmarks to promote policy reform by the Government of Afghanistan.

The £30 million for agricultural development will support the Comprehensive Agriculture and Rural Development Facility (CARD), a programme managed by the Government of Afghanistan to provide economic incentives for farmers to ensure they do not turn to opium cultivation. It is a key part of our revised approach to tackling poppy.

Since the Taliban, who provided safe havens for terrorists, were ousted from power in 2001 the lives of ordinary Afghans have improved enormously.

For instance, today 82% of the population have access to basic healthcare and each year 40,000 children more children live beyond their first birthday compared to under the Taliban.

DFID's Pakistan Country Plan was launched in July 2008. It will help improve access to basic services, make government more effective, and support economic growth for the poor, helping address the wider issues of regional peace and prosperity.

For more information contact David Rigby DFID press office 0207 023 0821

DFID, the Department for International Development: leading the British Government's fight against world poverty. Find out more about the major global poverty challenges and get the facts on what DFID is doing to fight them: http://www.dfid.gov.uk