Archive for 'conflict & security'
The conflict in Syria shows no sign of abating, yet media interest is waning. The humanitarian needs of the children affected are hardly mentioned and it is hard to understand why. Within Syria alone, 2.5 million people are affected, 1.2 million of them have been forced to flee their homes, and half of them are [...]
A large sign greets me with 'Welcome to the land of the brave' in the arrival hall in Kabul. I have just stepped off the plane, and am wondering what the year ahead will bring. This is my first time in Afghanistan and I'm excited and nervous, only having seen one week before the news [...]
Hi, I am Alex, and I have recently joined DFID to work as the regional statistics and results adviser for DFID's programmes in Central Asia, Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Regional Asia programmes. I am based in London as part of the Western Asia team. I've worked for various Whitehall departments for a number of years on issues like [...]
After 15 months, the time has come for me to leave this beautiful country and return home to friends, family and (fingers crossed) a beautiful Spring back in London! As my time here draws to a close I can't help but think back to when I first arrived and all the changes I have seen. [...]
As those of you who follow my blog regularly will know, I've been working over the past year or so on a programme which delivers vital services to rural areas across Afghanistan. Many of these areas are just recovering from conflict. This makes it all the more important to get services running as quickly as [...]
Kabul has just seen the end of the Loya Jirga - a mass meeting in which, traditionally, tribal elders meet to discuss matters of national and political importance. During the three-day event, around 2,000 Afghan nationals from across the country gathered in Kabul to discuss, among other things, peace negotiations here. It passed without incident - [...]
My arrival in Afghanistan coincided nicely with the weather warming up, but until now I didn't feel I'd seen as much of Kabul as I would have liked. My routine is more about meetings with government and partners. I finally got my chance and went to Babur Gardens, or to give it its full name, [...]
I was fortunate enough to join the UK Ambassador's visit to Kajaki – a remote and volatile district in Northern Helmand where the surrounding mountains contrast against blue skies and the crystal clear waters of Kajaki Lake. Many of you may have heard of Kajaki in relation to the Kajaki Dam - one of the two major hydroelectric power dams [...]
"Green growth" is en vogue in the development and international affairs world. The Republic of Korea has created a new Global Green Growth Institute, and a major UN Summit to be held in Rio de Janeiro in July 2012 will focus on two topics – one of which will be "green economy". The OECD has [...]
With all the media's attention focussed on Libya and other Middle Eastern countries, you might have noticed Afghanistan has slightly fallen off the media radar recently. That's not necessarily a bad thing – it means those of us who work here can quietly get on and do what we want to do without the world’s [...]
