After Canadian troops pull out from Afghanistan next year, Canada is expected to halve its aid for the Islamic country.
Canadian Minister of International Cooperation Bev Oda, according to Agence France-Presse, has indicated that Canada will provide USD100 million in annual development aid to Afghanistan over the next four years.
As reported by Devex, Canada’s post-combat work in Afghanistan is expected to cost some 700 million Canadian dollars (USD684 million) each year through 2014.
>> Canada Unveils Post-combat Role in Afghanistan
“Building on Canada’s strengths, aid initiatives in Afghanistan will refocus its engagement on children and youth, and on humanitarian assistance,” Canadian International Development Agency’s Isabelle Bouchard told AFP.
“Last year we spent 50 percent in Kandahar and 50 percent nationwide,” she added. “Now we will only be focusing on the nationwide.”
Based on figures provided by CIDA to AFP, Canadian aid to Afghanistan in fiscal 2009-2010 totaled USD205 million, USD75 million less than the 2007-2008 volume. But the annual average since the start of Canada’s Afghanistan mission in 2002 is USD150 million.
