A workshop about "Humanitarian Quality & Accountability in Afghanistan, Lessons Learned and Challenges Ahead” was held on 12th March in Kabul. The workshop was organized by Group URD and CWS-P/A (Sphere Focal Point) in partnership with the GoA and HAP to share experiences and thoughts about current quality issues in Afghanistan.

Amidst the snow-capped mountains surrounding Kabul, a group of over 40 humanitarian workers, government officials, donors, foreign dignitaries and researchers gathered together to discuss quality and accountability for humanitarian interventions in Afghanistan.

Afghanistan is at the forefront of the geopolitical issues and lately, news surrounding the country is focused on security, reconstruction and development. With billions of dollars in aid money being poured into Afghanistan – the question often asked is how is the money being spent and are the people benefiting? A recent report published by the Agency Coordinating Body for Afghan Relief (ACBAR) indicates ‘an estimated 40% of the money spent has been returned to rich donor countries…through corporate profits, consultant salaries and other costs, vastly pushing up expenditure,’ which can lead to questions regarding the effectiveness of aid in Afghanistan.

The primary objectives for this workshop are: 1) To generate interest in quality and accountability in humanitarian interventions in Afghanistan; 2) To think about and eventually draft a shared definition of ‘quality’ in the Afghan context and; 3) To generate dialogue between donor agencies, the United Nations, international and national organizations on quality and accountability in humanitarian interventions in Afghanistan, and address particularly how donors can influence the quality of humanitarian aid.

Read the full article about the workshop on CWS-P/A website.