Background and objectives:
Causes of human insecurity in informal settlements of urban Afghanistan, where more than 70 per cent of city population live, are numerous. Social exclusion, poor sanitation, lack of safe drinking water, high vulnerability to natural disaster, absence of health and education facilities are common in any informal settlement. The settlements are established on marginal land by people who are very poor and do not have any access to land. The settlements also lack of basic infrastructure. In the absence of basic services, the living conditions are poor, unhygienic and prone to all kinds of threats and disease. The inhabitants also live in fear of eviction or relocation. The project took a human security approach to upgrading by addressing the root causes of insecurity, acting as a catalyst in key areas, including land tenure, basic services, representation and participation in planning and decision making. The aim is to increase protection of vulnerable groups living in informal settlements in Kandahar.
Activities:
The main activities included:
- Mobilise and establish community institutions.
- Ensure a secure place to live for all the families under the project by confirming security of tenure.
- Improve environmental and social conditions in informal settlements through the rehabilitation of neighbourhood infrastructure.
- Generate employment opportunities by developing opportunities through infrastructure upgrades.
- Introduce participatory planning model of local development to achieve good governance by building local capacity of municipality, Department of MoUD and other relevant development agencies.
Results:
The results achieved were:
- Directly benefited more than 2,580 youth through seven training courses.
- Successfully carried out activities from community mobilization to project design in all 13 selected CCDC.
- Selected a total of 19 prioritized projects for implementation.
- Conducted capacity development activities through on-the-job trainings,workshops and other project implementation activities.
- Disbursed USD 1.065 million block grants to the CCDCs.
- Completed about 65 per cent of the total implementation activities.
