Well, its becoming clear where the $31 billion we pumped into Afghanistan with the objective of building up the countries infrastructure has gone.
The looters have arrived and they are not the Warlords nor the Taliban. They are wearing Prada.
Private companies under the guise of aid are using aid money to pay consultants from $250,000 to $500,000 in one of the poorest countries on earth.
'Gilded cage' lifestyle reveals the ugly truth about foreign aid in Afghanistan.
Oh, and the excuse that they would go elsewhere if the salaries were not so good, wont wash.
"I am not even allowed to go into Kabul's best hotel," complained one woman working for a foreign government aid organisation.
I think someone needs a dose of reality, most of the country is in ruins and the poor dear cant go for 'tea at the Ritz'.
My heart bleeds for her.
The going rate paid by the Taliban for an attack on a police checkpoint in the west of the country is $4, but foreign consultants in Kabul, who are paid out of overseas aids budgets, can command salaries of $250,000 to $500,000 a year.
Interesting values.
The high degree of wastage of aid money in Afghanistan has long been an open secret. In 2006, Jean Mazurelle, the then country director of the World Bank, calculated that between 35 per cent and 40 per cent of aid was "badly spent". "The wastage of aid is sky-high," he said. "There is real looting going on, mainly by private enterprises."
One wonders why the progress has been so slow, well not any more.
Though 77 per cent of Afghans lack access to clean water, Mr Bahadery said that aid agencies and the foreign contractors who work for them insist that every bedroom should have an en-suite bathroom and this often doubles the cost of accommodation.
http://www.independent.co.uk/...
It goes on and on and just makes me sick, I have worked for aid agencies never would I dream of asking for this type of deal when there is so much suffering amongst the people you are trying to help, I want to puke.
I hate the profiteers of misfortune.
"I was in Badakhshan province in northern Afghanistan which has a population of 830,000, most of whom depend on farming," said Matt Waldman, the head of policy and advocacy for Oxfam in Kabul. "The entire budget of the local department of agriculture, irrigation and livestock, which is extremely important for farmers in Badakhshan, is just $40,000. This would be the pay of an expatriate consultant in Kabul for a few months."
I say get rid of the government contracted 'aid' agencies and let those who really know how to do the work have access to the vast amounts of money swilling around. Maybe real results will then come to pass.
If you volunteer to work in a poor violent country for low wages this shows:
1] You are motivated to help and not there for personal gain.
2] Living in similar conditions to the indigenous population will gain their respect and trust.
Its time to rethink the rebuilding programme.
Update:
USAID being radically under budgeted and severely under staffed has little oversight.
Chemonics International is a main offender.
I am looking for other names.
Here is a link for the main contractors.
http://projects.publicintegrity.org/...
Oh, I nearly forgot, a definition:
'Aid agency':
Is an organisation that helps people in times of crisis, like the Red Cross or UNICEF. (noun)