February 23, 2009 - Tridentnews.ca

By Government of Canada
One of Canada’s six priorities
for moving forward
on Afghanistan is to
help the Afghan government
provide humanitarian assistance
to vulnerable people,
including refugees, returnees
and internally displaced persons.
This includes refugees
and refugees who have recently
returned to the country, widows,
female-headed households,
and persons internally
displaced by violence or natural
disasters. Canada will be
contributing up to $111 million*
over the next three years
to help the Government of
Afghanistan provide humanitarian
assistance in Kandahar
and nationwide. Initiatives
will include:
• Food aid for vulnerable
populations, including
refugees, drought-affected
families, civilians affected
by conflict, refugees who
have returned to the country,
and internally displaced
persons. This aid will be
delivered through the World
Food Programme;
• Non-food aid (blankets,
kitchen utensils, etc.) for
vulnerable populations;
• Vaccinations (polio,
measles, and tetanus) and
promoting greater access to
basic health services. This
initiative includes Canada’s
signature polio eradication
project (up to $60 million*),
which is expected to
immunize seven million
children and help close the
gap to eliminating the disease
in Afghanistan by
2009; and
• The clearance of mines and
the provision of mine
awareness education.
Canadian objectives for
2011. Humanitarian assistance
will continue to be
accessible to Afghan refugees
and to returnees and internally
displaced persons in the
province of Kandahar and
nationwide.
Progress will be measured
by looking at the capacity of
Afghan institutions to plan
and coordinate emergency
assistance; the access vulnerable
populations have to essential
quality health services; the
number of people receiving
mine awareness education;
the amount of land released
and made available through
mine clearance activities; and
the number of children receiving
the polio vaccine.
*Specific allocations are
subject to adjustments in
response to changes in the
complex Afghan environment.
Reproduced with permission
from the Government
of Canada.
SPECIAL REPORT: AFGHANISTAN
TRIDENT, FEBRUARY 23, 2009 19
Sgt Carl Erskine of the KPRT Engineer Section helps an
Afghani man hoist a 50-kg bag of flour onto his shoulders.
Humanitarian
assistance
CPLC BRUNO TURCOTTE, PHOTOGRAPHE QG AFG ROTO 4
Signature project:
Education in Kandahar
By Government of Canada
One of Canada’s six priorities for
moving forward on Afghanistan is
to help strengthen the Afghan government’s
institutional capacity to deliver
core services and promote economic
growth, enhancing the confidence of
Kandaharis in their government.
Through its Education Signature Project,
Canada will invest up to $12 million*
over the next three years:
• To build, expand or repair 50 schools
in key districts of Kandahar province;
• To build the capacity of the Ministry
of Education to deliver quality educational
services.
This project addresses the recommendation
of the Independent Panel on Canada’s
Future Role in Afghanistan for a
major signature project that directly benefits
the Afghan people and is clearly
identified with Canada.
This project also builds on Canada’s
already significant contribution to education
in Afghanistan. Canada is currently
the lead donor to the national education
program—the Education Quality
Improvement Program (EQUIP). Canada
is also responsible for rolling out the
Government of Afghanistan’s national
education strategy in Kandahar.
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Canada is currently the lead donor to the national education program.
Additional facts. Afghanistan has
some of the world’s lowest educational
levels. It is estimated that half of all
Afghan children do not go to school. Illiteracy
is a major development challenge
in Afghanistan, particularly in Kandahar,
where only 16 percent of Kandaharis are
literate (26 percent of men and 5 percent
of women).
This low rate is a barrier to employment,
other economic opportunities,
resources, and services. Teaching
women to read, write, and count is
especially imperative for the Government
of Afghanistan. Research shows
that educating women has the greatest
developmental benefits for their immediate
families and for society at large.
Canada will also support this signature
project by training up to 3,000 teachers
and providing adult literacy and vocational
training.
Funding for this signature project is
included in the Government of Canada’s
investment of up to $210 million* over
the next three years to help the Afghan
government deliver basic services.
*Specific allocations are subject to
adjustments in response to changes in the
complex Afghan environment.
Reproduced with permission from the
Government of Canada.
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GOVERNMENT OF CANADA