The A to Z Guide to Assistance in Afghanistan 2020 Fourteenth Edition The A to Z Guide to Assistance in Afghanistan 2020 Fourteenth Edition Afghanistan Research and Evaluation Unit IMPORTANT NOTE: The information presented in this guide relies on the voluntary contributions of ministries and agencies of the Afghan government, embassies, development agencies and other organisations representing donor countries, national and international NGOs and other institutions. While AREU makes a sincere effort to provide the most accurate and current information possible with each edition produced, details evolve and change continuously. Users of this guide are encouraged to submit updates, additions, corrections and suggestions to [email protected]. © 2020 Afghanistan Research and Evaluation Unit. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, recording or otherwise, without prior written permission of the publisher, the Afghanistan Research and Evaluation Unit. Permission can be obtained by emailing [email protected] or by calling +93 (0) 799 608 548. Funding for this publication is provided by the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA). Provincial Profiles (maps and data): © World Bank; © Central Statistics Organization Maps: Ministry of Urban Development and Land, National Statistics and Information Authority, and OCHA Contact Information Address: District 10, Shahr-i-Naw, Kabul, Afghanistan Phone: +93 (0) 799 608 548 Email: [email protected] Website: www.areu.org.af The AREU library is located at the AREU office in Kabul and is open: Sunday to Thursday from 9 a.m.–12:30 p.m. and 1 p.m.–3:30 p.m. (8 a.m.–2 p.m. during Ramazan). i AREU The A to Z Guide to Assistance in Afghanistan Table of Contents: A Message from AREU Director Dr Orzala Nemat .....................................................................................................iv About the Afghanistan Research and Evaluation Unit ..............................................................................................v About the A to Z Guide to Assistance in Afghanistan ..................................................................................v AREU Publications 2019 ...............................................................................................................................vi AREU Publications 2018 .............................................................................................................................. vii AREU Publications 2017 ............................................................................................................................... 1 AREU Publications 2016 ............................................................................................................................... 3 A to Z Contents ..................................................................................................................................................... 7 Government Initiatives and Programmes ................................................................................................... 13 Non-Governmental Organisations and Civil Society ................................................................................. 51 Afghan–International Initiatives and Programmes .................................................................................... 66 Libraries ........................................................................................................................................................ 83 The Government of Afghanistan ........................................................................................................................... 96 Background ................................................................................................................................................. 96 The Executive .............................................................................................................................................. 97 Attorney General’s Office (AGO) .................................................................................................................. 98 The Judiciary ............................................................................................................................................... 98 The Supreme Court...................................................................................................................................... 99 Courts of Appeal ......................................................................................................................................... 99 Primary Courts ............................................................................................................................................ 99 Commercial Court ......................................................................................................................................100 The Legislature ..........................................................................................................................................100 2004 Constitution .....................................................................................................................................101 Provincial Councils ....................................................................................................................................102 District Councils ........................................................................................................................................102 Village Councils and Municipal Councils .................................................................................................103 The Public Sector ......................................................................................................................................103 Pay and Grading .........................................................................................................................................105 Elections ....................................................................................................................................................106 Higher Education .............................................................................................................................................. 107 Public and Private Universities in Afghanistan ........................................................................................ 107 Provincial profiles ............................................................................................................................................. 121 Central Afghanistan ...................................................................................................................................123 Northeast Afghanistan ..............................................................................................................................127 East Afghanistan ........................................................................................................................................129 The A to Z Guide to Assistance in Afghanistan ii Afghanistan Research and Evaluation Unit North Afghanistan ......................................................................................................................................131 South Afghanistan .....................................................................................................................................134 Southwest Afghanistan..............................................................................................................................137 Southeast Afghanistan ..............................................................................................................................139 Kuchi population ........................................................................................................................................ 141 Contacts .......................................................................................................................................................... 146 iii AREU The A to Z Guide to Assistance in Afghanistan A Message from AREU Director Dr Orzala Nemat It is our pleasure to present AREU’s flagship A-Z Guide to Assistance in Afghanistan 2020 edition. The A-Z guide was first published in 2002, and with this 2020 edition, it continues to provide a window into the array of moving parts within the country. This edition is both an acknowledgement of the Guide’s continuity and the efforts of the domestic actors and the international community that have sustained their contributions to the development of Afghanistan and their commitment to its people. It is an important reference point for policymakers, program implementers and academics that have an interest in Afghanistan. The Guide in many ways captures what has changed and persisted in terms of actors, priorities, and the political landscape, which together have profoundly changed Afghanistan over the past 19 years. AREU has been part of this journey and has contributed a rich evidence-base to inform researchers, policymakers, civil society, practitioners, and many others. As this edition goes to print, Afghanistan sits on the precipice of yet another defining moment in its history. Our hope is that the hard-won development gains, freedoms, and rights endure as these have been intrinsic in giving Afghan men, women