Afghanistan: Humanitarianism under Threat

Humanitarianism is under deep threat in Afghanistan. Humanitarian actors and the principles they profess are under attack. The ability of humanitarian agencies to address urgent need is compromised by internal and external factors, i.e., both by the organization and modus operandi of aid agencies on the ground, and by an extremely volatile and dangerous operating environment.

This briefing paper provides an update on the humanitarian challenges and opportunities in Afghanistan. It is based on some 60 interviews with Afghan and international aid workers, as well as with senior Afghan government officials, bilateral donors, and observers and analysts unrelated to the aid enterprise. These interviews were conducted in Kabul in August 2008 and January 2009. In order to gain a wider perspective on perceptions of the evolving situation, five focus groups were also held in the Shomali plain (north of Kabul) and in Jalalabad with a selection of local beneficiaries of assistance projects, returnees, and conflict-affected displaced persons. The purpose of this paper is to highlight, working from the data collected on the ground, critical issues affecting the provision of humanitarian action and to suggest how they could, partially at least, be redressed.