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Last week, on Wednesday, the government negotiations on development cooperation between the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan and the Federal Republic of Germany for 2020 ended successfully. The German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) commits to invest an overall amount of about AFN 21.3 billion (EUR 240 million) for financial and technical cooperation in 2020. Further funding is provided by BMZ directly to non-governmental organisations, and in addition the German Federal Foreign Office is supporting Afghanistan with up to AFN 16 billion (EUR 180 million) for stabilisation projects as well as AFN 1.7 billion (EUR 19.4 million) for humanitarian assistance in 2020. Germany will thus fulfil its pledge at the 2016 Brussels Conference, where it committed to providing up to EUR 430 million per year in overall civilian assistance.

On Tuesday, Professor Christoph Zuercher of the University of Ottawa, Canada presented his findings from a Meta-Review of Evaluations of Development Assistance to Afghanistan on behalf of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ). Over 80 participants from bilateral and multilateral donors took part in the online conference. In preparation for an upcoming evaluation of the BMZ country portfolio in 2022, the Afghanistan division of the BMZ commissioned the review, which covered the period from 2008 to 2018. The main objective of the review was to provide background information and comparative evidence about various sectors of German development cooperation with Afghanistan, thereby aiming at improving the impact of BMZ development cooperation.

Today, provincial officials of Samangan province and representatives of the Afghan-German Cooperation inaugurated a reconstructed 3.8-kilometre long road. The asphalt road connects Aybak city to Dara-e Zhowandon village and with the Mazar-e Sharif to Kabul Highway. More than 22,000 citizens will benefit from the improved infrastructure. Personnel from the provincial Roads Operation and Maintenance Department (ROMD, formerly Public Works Department) supervised the reconstruction works. The Afghan-German Cooperation’s Regional Infrastructure Development Fund (RIDF) financed the measure at a total cost of about AFN 94 million.

Yesterday, Baghlan’s Provincial Governor and the Director of Lower Kunduz River Basin Agency (LKRBA) signed a contract for constructing a flood protection wall. The contract includes rehabilitating the Baladori Intake to safeguard Pul-e Khomri City and the Baladori Canal in the provincial capital. More than 30,000 residents will directly benefit from the project. The Afghan-German Cooperation’s Regional Infrastructure Development Fund (RIDF) will support the project’s technical implementation together with LKRBA and finance the project at a total cost of about AFN 67.7 million.