§ 15. Dr. PalmerTo ask the Minister of State, Department for International Development, what assessment the Secretary of State has made of progress in rebuilding Afghanistan. [124286]
§ Hilary BennSince the fall of the Taliban regime in November 2001, Afghanistan has made significant progress. Around 4.5 million children are expected to go to school this year and over 30 per cent. will be girls.836W Polio has almost been eradicated and 9 million children have been vaccinated against measles. So far over 1.8 million refugees have gone back to Afghanistan.
The humanitarian situation is also much improved. There is no longer a humanitarian emergency. There was a mild winter in 2002/03 and the wheat harvest increased by 80 per cent. in 2002, compared 2001, after increased rainfall. Reconstruction work has started in Kabul and the provinces on the rehabilitation of power supplies, hospitals, schools, housing and roads.
However, Afghanistan continues to face major difficulties. First and foremost the lack of security is a serious problem, particularly in the south of the country. The government still does not have effective control over the entire country and this has been hampering the rebuilding efforts in some parts of the country.