MRRD Deepens its Development Commitments across the Southern Provinces

KANDAHAR –Monday, 30/07/2007,

Minister Mohammad Ehsan Zia of the Ministry of Rural Rehabilitation and Development announced 72 new projects worth 2,680432 USD for Afghanistan southern provinces. The projects are expected to create 100,001 working days immediate employment and in the longer term will benefit thousands of families.

The Ministry is working with district leaders to identify priority projects and then find ways to have them constructed, said Minister Zia, “People have a choice to make: either to improve their livelihoods or retain the status quo”.

What MRRD has achieved in the southern provinces would have been impossible for the government and the leadership of the ministry without the kind assistance of our partners- the Canadian Government, the British Government, USAID, the Dutch Government, and the Government of Japan.

The announcement brings the total number of MRRD projects in the southern provinces to 418 since January 8, when the ministry took advantage of improved security in the area by bringing development aid into the previously neglected region. In addition, MRRD’s National Solidarity Programme (NSP) has established 1520 Community Development Councils across the region - implementing 2384 community projects, of which 1136 are completed.

“We are very grateful to MRRD for constructing our roads and cleaning our Canals and Karizes. Now we are able to bring our agriculture produce easily to the market”, said Noor Ahmad, a farmer from the village of Charqulba in Arghandab district of Kandahar.

In association with the World Food Programme’s Food for Work initiative MRRD has cleaned or constructed 634 Canals, 604 Karizes – irrigating 16,15000 Jeribs of land, constructing 306 Km Road and the construction of  a Women Nursery (day centre) against 16598 MT food stuff –  creating 342,839 working days for the benefit of 867,963  people.

On the recent flood damage in the area, MRRD has consulted the District Development Councils (DDAs) and submitted a report to the Disaster Management Committee. That report was also passed onto WFP to look at Food for Work projects that can be implemented rapidly.

Such a massive development wave is unique in the history of southern provinces, particularly since projects have been selected based on extensive consultation with local people, including elected and traditional community leaders.