ACBAR - Don't Forget Afganistan
NGOs are actors of the humanitarian and development sector in Afghanistan. As part of the Afghan Civil Society, they provide support to the population that ranges from emergency relief, to reconstruction and development aid, in particular through the delivery of basic services to the population. Since the end of the Taliban regime in 2001, lot of progress has been made and many improvements in the life of Afghan men, women and children are visible, in part thanks to the work of NGOs. School enrollment in Afghanistan jumped from one to eight million between 2002 and 2013. The average life expectancy increased from 42 to 49 years. Maternal mortality dropped from 1600 deaths per 100,000 births in 2001 to 327 deaths in 2010; and Afghans now have better access to safe drinking water. However, much remains to be done. The campaign “Do not forget Afghanistan” is a worldwide coordinated campaign with multiple events scheduled to start on the 14th of November and last until the end of the month in more than 20 countries. ACBAR members are working in coalitions in countries where their Headquarters are located in order to raise the profile of Afghanistan and its population and to attract the citizens and policy makers’ attention on the populations’ needs; as media and international’s interests too often focus on the military situation concerning Afghanistan, and too rarely on the living conditions of its people. Through a multitude of various events, such as conferences, roundtables and photo-exhibits; NGOs will showcase the diversity of the activities that they implement in all 34 provinces of Afghanistan, supporting the most vulnerable populations. Documentary film by Wojciech Szumowski and Michał Przedlacki was a part of described above events.
