On July 12, the Washington Post published an article about Afghanistan’s Wakhan district, saying that despite the large influx of international aide to Afghanistan, this isolated district has been largely ignored by the donor community. The article brings up many good points about the immense challenges that still need to be overcome in Wakhan, however, much work has been done to make a positive impact. Our CEO, Dr. Mirza Jahani replied to the article with a recently published letter to the editor:

“I was heartened to see the July 12 front-page article on Afghanistan’s Wakhan district. Certainly many points about the country’s marginalized groups and remote populations are valid. Still, the larger context is that the U.S. government is working with partners, including the Aga Khan Development Network, in Wakhan on better governance and services in health and education.

The Post pointed to an incomplete, decades-old dirt road as evidence that not much has changed in the region. In fact, you can’t drive across Wakhan without traversing nine big bridges and passing 10 schools and seven irrigation canals built and supported by us. We work on more than 70 infrastructure projects and support more than a dozen early childhood centers. We and others are creating capacity for services that address health, education and livelihoods ranging from savings groups to ecotourism. Things are changing. Efforts include our partnership with the U.S. Agency for International Development on Multi-Input Area Development, which engages public and private investment for integrated development in northern Afghanistan for the next five years.

While more must be done, much is already taking place, creating big changes in access to services, markets and food security. These are making a world of difference to people in Wakhan.”

The projects supported by the Aga Khan Development Network and its partners are helping in Afghanistan and the Wakhan district. As Dr. Jahani points out, though there is much work to be done, our partnerships there are addressing local priorities in an integrated way. To learn more about the partnership with USAID in Afghanistan, please click here.