Afghans living in slums

  • 12 years ago
Mohamed Azeem is 36 years old. He supports his wife and eight children on six dollars a day doing hard labour.

He is amongst thousands of Afghans who've felt the affects of war and displacement, but not the benefits of billions of dollars in international aid that's been pouring in over the years.

(SOUNDBITE) (Dari) MOHAMMAD AZEEM 36 YEAR OLD LABOURER SAYING:

"We have not benefited at all from aid that's poured into Afghanistan so far. Those who are powerful in this country have.... but as you can see, we are suffering in poverty."

A conference of 70 international organisations and donors will meet in Tokyo Sunday to secure aid commitments for Afghanistan up to 2014, when most NATO troops will depart.

Experts say one way to make sure that happens is prove there's been a clampdown on corruption.

Afghanistan's former Minister of the Economy, Mohammad Amin Farhang.

(SOUNDBITE) (Dari) FORMER AFGHAN MINISTER FOR ECONOMY MOHAMMAD AMIN FARHANG, SAYING:

"The Afghanistan government must fight against corruption to prove to the international community at the Tokyo conference that they are serious. Otherwise, if the donor country feels that Afghanistan is not serious about fighting corruption, I believe the international community will reduce their aid and will be very cautious about it."

According to the United Nations refugee agency the number of people displaced inside the country could rise to 700,000 by the end of 2013.

Afghanistan remains one of the world's 10 poorest countries.

Julie Noce, Reuters

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