Catalog

The events unfolding in Afghanistan, and their repercussions in the neighboring countries of South Asia and Central Asia, are of concern to all of us, and particularly to the Asian Development Bank. They are taking place in our region of the world. To varying degrees, they affect the lives of people in all our member countries.

Afghanistan is a founding member of ADB, from our inception in 1966. From 1969 to 1979, we had provided eight loans to Afghanistan totaling about $75 million and technical assistance grant of $2.5 million. Our operations were suspended in 1979. In these long intervening years, we have hoped that the time would come when we and our development partners could resume cooperation with the people of Afghanistan. It would seem that the time is at hand.

ADB has established a country team on Afghanistan and a special task force for other affected countries in South Asia and Central Asia. We are closely collaborating with many of the development partners represented here. We are prepared to respond to the situation in Afghanistan and to adjust our assistance to neighboring and affected countries.

Humanitarian, rehabilitation, and reconstruction needs in Afghanistan will be large and must be long-term. Our experiences in East Timor, Cambodia, and Tajikistan suggest that the financial resources needed will be great. Considerable further work must be undertaken before a reliable, detailed, and comprehensive estimate can be made of the resource requirement.

From our previous postconflict experiences, we are also aware of where ADB can provide the strongest value. While other specialized agencies provide humanitarian assistance, ADB will focus on rehabilitation and reconstruction of both institutions and infrastructure.

ADB is committed to acting as a full partner in rehabilitation and reconstruction efforts.