Research by the Senlis Council, an international policy group, has shown that British efforts at restructuring Afghanistan has not made a positive impact in the country, “(The Department for International Development) in Helmand is dysfunctional, totally dysfunctional,” lamented Senlis president Norine MacDonald, who made her statement as the U.K., the U.S., and other North Atlantic Treaty Organization allies plod through the seven-year process of restoring security in Afghanistan. “If DFID think they are making a difference in Lashkar Gah and other towns, they clearly haven’t been out to take a look. I haven’t seen any signs of DFID aid or development projects,” MacDonald added, referring to Helmand province’s largest city. The DFID, however, dismissed the council’s findings, saying that it has spent at least USD70 million in development projects for the Afghan province and that it has been “empowering local communities to meet their needs.”
Source: UK aid effort in Afghanistan “dysfunctional” (Reuters)
