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National Rural Access Programme
(Formerly called NEEP)
:: About Us ::
Background
Following a quarter century of conflict, Afghanistan is one of the
poorest countries in the world. Its social indicators rank at or
near the bottom among developing countries. Decades of chronic
political instability have undermined the development of modern and
democratic structures of governance, market and community.
Exacerbating this problem was the large-scale unemployment and
underemployment reported to be running as high as 50% in Kabul and
even higher outside the capital. With the destruction of basic
infrastructure and mechanisms for service delivery accompanied by
the widespread disruption and distortion of livelihoods, the
Transitional Government of Afghanistan proposed the National
Development Framework (NDF) in early 1381, which provided a clear
justification for public sector investment in the restoration and
protection of human welfare and resulted in the prioritisation of
resources for immediate poverty alleviation programmes in the early
national development budgets of 1381 and 1382.
One of the first
national priority programmes initiated through the NDF was the
National Emergency Employment Programme (NEEP). To expedite
programme implementation in all 34 provinces of Afghanistan, the
Government designated the Ministry of Rural Rehabilitation and
Development (MRRD) with responsibility for the preparation and
execution of NEEP, in partnership with Ministry of Public Works (MoPW)
and Ministry of Irrigation, Water Resources and Environment (MIWRE).
NEEP was intended to ensure immediate and tangible benefits for poor
and vulnerable Afghans throughout the country. The stated objectives
of NEEP were twofold: (i) provision of a safety net
for vulnerable people by creating productive employment
opportunities; and, (ii) establishment of effective
mechanisms for developing infrastructure assets through labour based
methods and based on a private sector led approach. NEEP activities
were to involve a wide range of sectors (roads, irrigation, urban
development, natural resource management, soil conservation,
reforestation) and themes (targeting poor and those at risk
including vulnerable women, disabled, destitute pastoralists and
agricultural labourers affected by efforts to eradicate opium poppy
production).
NEEP to
NRAP
The steady transition
from humanitarian assistance towards a more developmental oriented
approach, including the emergence of other programmes contributing
to the Government’s Livelihoods and Social Protection Policy,
necessitated the original NEEP Strategy to be reviewed by Government
late in 1383. The strategic framework for 1384 incorporated the
findings and recommendations of the review mission and the 1384 work
plan presented the adjusted strategy direction. To fully reflect
the re-orientation of NEEP focusing mainly on employment generation
to an agenda concentrating on interconnectivity, quality and
sustainability of the rural road network throughout Afghanistan, the
programme was re-named the National Rural Access Programme (NRAP).
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