A new donor conference for Afghanistan this Tuesday in Geneva

After a rocket attack in Kabul, Afghanistan on Saturday, November 21, 2020. AP - Mariam Zuhaib

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An international conference for Afghanistan is taking place this Tuesday in Geneva.

Almost 20 years after the start of the war against the Taliban, the country is still so dependent on international aid.

Since 2001, tens of billions of dollars have been injected to stabilize Afghanistan.

This is still not the case.

The rocket attacks on Kabul last weekend are proof of this.

The risk now is that of seeing aid diminish at the same time as the international community's interest in the fate of the Afghans.

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With our correspondent in Geneva,

Jérémie Lanche

16 billion dollars pledged in 2012. 15 billion in 2016. Once again, aid to Afghanistan should be counted in double digits.

But it could be revised downwards.

And this for two reasons: already, because of the Covid pandemic which monopolizes the endowments.

And then also donor fatigue at the deadlock in the peace process between the Kabul government and the Taliban insurgents.

The withdrawal of American troops decided by Donald Trump makes the future even more uncertain, as 300,000 Afghans have been displaced since the beginning of the year because of the fighting.

Aware of both the urgency of the situation and the disaffection of donors, the head of the UNHCR, Filippo Grandi, warned at the opening of the conference: the future of Afghanistan also depends on the success of peace negotiations than the commitment of the international community to the development of the country.

Also to listen: Afghanistan: "The Americans have been trying to withdraw from the country for almost twenty years"

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