Luxembourg's development cooperation - Annual report 2018

As in previous years, there was no direct bilateral cooperation with Afghanistan. Luxembourg’s development cooperation is carrying out its projects in close collaboration with the PATRIP (Pakistan Afghanistan Tajikistan Regional Integration Programme) foundation. Projects financed by Luxembourg through the foundation and implemented by the Danish NGO Mission East are focusing on the area of water, sanitation and hygiene. In addition, the NGO is investing more in risk-reduction in order to enhance the sustainability of its projects. In 2018, Luxembourg’s development cooperation contributed 920 000 euros, enabling piped water to be supplied and lavatories to be installed in 28 mountain villages, 13 on the Afghan and 12 on the Tajik side of the border. In addition, 862 toilets, some with access for persons with reduced mobility, and 14 compost toilets were installed in those villages. The construction phase of this project is 95 % complete, despite a difficult year, due to climatic disturbance. Furthermore, ground stabilisation and infrastructure protection projects were implemented in most villages to tackle the natural disasters that are rife in the region. Mission East is also involved in repairing school infrastructure in these villages where needed, especially on the Tajik side, due to the administrative and legislative difficulties in Afghanistan.