[PEACEW RKS [ KABUL AND THE CHALLENGE OF DWINDLING FOREIGN AID Fabrizio Foschini ABOUT THE REPORT This report delineates recent economical, political, and social trends in Kabul to offer a comprehensive view of Afghanistan’s capital city, its unique role in the country’s life, and the challenges its residents and administrators currently face in a context of dwindling foreign involve- ment, reduced foreign aid, a faltering national economy, and social and political unrest. Funded by the United States Institute of Peace (USIP), the report is based on field research conducted in 2014 and 2015. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Fabrizio Foschini has researched the history, society, and politics of Afghanistan—where he has lived and visited regularly—since 2003. He is a member of the Kabul-based think tank Afghanistan Analysts Network. Tawfiq Faiz and Jawan Shir of Duran Research and Analysis assisted in conducting field research. Cover photo: (Michal Knitl/Shutterstock.com) The views expressed in this report are those of the author alone. They do not necessarily reflect the views of the United States Institute of Peace. United States Institute of Peace 2301 Constitution Ave., NW Washington, DC 20037 Phone: 202.457.1700 Fax: 202.429.6063 E-mail:
[email protected] Web: www.usip.org Peaceworks No. 126. First published 2017. ISBN: 978-1-60127-641-4 © 2017 by the United States Institute of Peace CONTENTS PEACEWORKS • APRIL 2017 • NO. 126 A Complex Phenomenon ... 5 The Landscape ... 6 The Soil of the City ... 18 Economic Drivers ... 27 City Management ... 44 Conclusions and Recommendations ... 62 [The balance of center-periphery relations depends ultimately on the perceived lasting ability of Kabul to represent the ultimate and undisputed source of authority, legitimacy, and wealth.] KABUL AND THE CHALLENGE OF DWINDLING FOREIGN AID Summary ■ Afghanistan’s capital city is a natural focal point for the country’s transition away from more than a decade of foreign occupation.