Afghanistan’s Minister of Rural Rehabilitation Stresses Coordination with Development and Humanitarian Agencies
The Taliban administration’s Minister of Rural Rehabilitation and Development emphasized the need for close coordination between development and humanitarian agencies and his ministry to improve affairs and achieve balanced development in Afghanistan.
In the meeting with representatives of development and humanitarian organizations, Mullah Abdul Latif Mansoor stated that the purpose of the gathering was to reach joint solutions for challenges and increase coordination in project implementation. According to him, ensuring livelihoods and security are fundamental needs of the people and must be addressed simultaneously.
He claimed that security in Afghanistan is currently ensured, allowing both domestic and international organizations to operate throughout the country. However, critics argue that administrative restrictions, lack of transparency, and Taliban administration interference have complicated the work of many humanitarian organizations.
Mansoor added that alongside the regime, organizations bear responsibility for improving the living conditions of the people and serious attention must be paid to the needs of rural residents. He recalled that about 70 percent of Afghanistan’s population lives in rural areas, which have been severely damaged over decades of war.
According to the Minister of Rural Rehabilitation and Development, his ministry better understands the basic needs of villages and is ready to share this information with organizations so projects can be implemented collaboratively and purposefully. He emphasized that the goal is not to control the agencies’ budgets but to ensure their proper utilization for the benefit of the people.
At the meeting, Taj Mohammad Basiri, representing domestic organizations, said these organizations work alongside the Ministry of Rural Rehabilitation and Development, and that greater coordination among the ministry, organizations, and provincial directorates will lead to more effective project implementation.
Additionally, the UNICEF water projects manager in Afghanistan stated that the organizations under UNICEF consider the standards set by the Ministry of Rural Rehabilitation and Development in their projects and that joint cooperation continues; a point which observers say highlights the need for independent oversight and guarantees of equal access to aid for the people.
