IV. Development and human security in Afghanistan

Chapter:

9. The challenges of relief and development in dangerous places

Source:

SIPRI Yearbook 2016

Author(s):

Gary Milante

Despite the improvements in human security since the international community’s intervention in late 2001, the Afghan population continued to be subject to severe physical and psychological insecurity in 2015. Within Asia, Afghanistan has the lowest GDP per capita and is the lowest scoring member in the Human Development Index (HDI).¹ Since the modern Afghan state was founded, it has consistently struggled to improve the human security of its population. This has largely been the result of a congenitally weak social contract, recurrent political infighting and often destructive foreign meddling in the country. This pattern continued in 2015, which makes achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) a particularly complex challenge for the Afghan Government and people, as well as for the international aid community. Many within the Afghan National Unity Government (NUG) have pinned their hopes on the ongoing Quadrilateral Coordination Group (QCG)—Afghanistan, China, Pakistan and USA—peace process, which commenced informally in 2015. The engagement of the Pakistan-backed Taliban in this process and its outcome could possibly make or break the NUG. Subsequently, it could affect Afghanistan’s short to medium term political stability and thus its development trajectory. This section examines Afghanistan’s current development challenges, the principal development priorities set out by the NUG, and the country’s human security status.