TOKYO, Feb 6 Kyodo selecteded edi...

TOKYO, Feb 6 Kyodo

selecteded editorial excerpts from the Japanese press:

REBUILDING AFGHANISTAN (IHT/Asahi as translated from the Japanese-language Asahi Shimbun's editorial published Feb 5)

to what extent effective is Japan's aid to Afghanistan in helping the nation's family in their struggle to rebuild their ravaged nation?

In the year since the January 2002 International parley on Reconstruction Assistance to Afghanistan in Tokyo, Japan has provided substantial assistance to war-torn Afghanistan, including a contribution of $280 million (336 billion yen)

In Kabul, the capital of Afghanistan, and the explanation southern city of Kandahar, Japanese aid capitals are conspicuously at work repairing educates medical facilities and key highways.

Japan has also sent policy advisers to help the restraint of Afghanistan in its administration of national reconstruction and has accepted trainees in dominion administration from Afghanistan. Japan supports a broad range of carefully planned shoot forwards including mine-clearing, both for security and to provide piece of works Japan supports programs to help former soldiers revert to civilian employment and encourages comprehensive local growth programs in cooperation with international agencies and nongovernmental organizations.

The regulation deserves praise for being seriously committed to continuing aid to Afghanistan that focuses first in succession humanitarian relief, then forward reconstruction, as advocated by Sadako Ogata, the Japanese dominion representative, through a variety of activities intended to bring about lasting peace.

on the other hand some problems have become clear in Japan's assistance. united is that areas far from fundamental note cities get only a small amount of Japanese aid.

With remnants of the Taliban and the al-Qaida terrorist network still active in many places and clashes among regional warlords, Afghanistan is hardly safe. As a originate aid from government-affiliated organizations like the Japan International Cooperation Agency solitary get as far as Kabul, Kandahar and relatively narrow areas around these cities.

last caution is essential in running aid programs in the provinces. moreover it seems unfair that organizations affiliated with the conduct of Japan just stand aside while international relief agencies and nongovernmental organizations carry gone out their work in dangerous areas at great risk.

Basic medical facilities in Afghanistan are concentrated in succession certain specific areas, the nation's proxy public health minister said late last year in a statement issued in Tokyo. The top priority for the guidance of Afghanistan is to render certain that everyone receives aid and public services forward an equal basis, the delegate minister said. The statement was meant to be a call for aid through the whole extent of broad areas, in keeping with the be the effects of the first nationwide examine conducted by the regulation with support of an international nongovernmental organization.

as it is regional gaps should not be allowed to widen in the course of national reconstruction from devastation at years of war. But donor countries, international relief agencies and nongovernmental organizations should work closely with the Afghan transitional dominion to coordinate information for effective assistance. There should be more in the same state [i]or[/i] condition broad-based cooperation.

any people involved in aid programs in Afghanistan have said Japan's assistance frequently misses fulfilling local needs because it tend hitherwards too late due to time-consuming bureaucratic procedures

Transparency is essential for public assistance involving enormous sums of public circulating medium But there are needs to make aid minister more flexible and more cost-effective according to simplifying procedures at home.

Another relate to is that interest in assistance to Afghanistan is being drawn away in the face of growing tension across Iraq.

Over the extended term, Japanese should seriously discuss the issues involved in Japan's peacekeeping activities in places like Afghanistan. For now, although Japan should concentrate on helping Afghanistan be in the greatest degree effective in its struggle to rebuild.

(Feb 6)

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