EE Sr oe Ameriesa’s Leaders Se ee a oe The State Of Afghanistan (NAPSA)—Government sources say a sustained humanitarian effort is one of the most important aspects of U.S. anti-terror actions. Since September 11, for instance, the U.S. Government has spent $900 million rebuilding Afghanistan, primarily through the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). For more than a year, Afghan reconstruction has focussed on education, health, agriculture, infra- structure, government and the economy. USAID plans to rebuild or rehabilitate 1,000 schools over the next three years. The U.S. humanitarian commitment has been distributed in the following ways: Education—The United States has provided 15 million textbooks, rebuilt 142 schools and colleges, trained 1,350 teachers and printed and distributed 30,000 teacher’s kits. Health—U.S. funds have been used to vaccinate 4.25 million children against measles and to treat 700,000 cases of malaria (preventing an estimated 20,000 deaths). Funds have also been used to provide basic health services to over two million people in 21 provinces—90 percent of whom were women and children. Agriculture—American support for agriculture in Afghanistan has contributed to an 82 percent increase in wheat production. The country faced a major famine just one year ago. The United States also helped rehabilitate 6,000 agricultural water systems. The U.S. has provided 15 mil- lion textbooks in Afghanistan and America plans to build or renovate 1,000 schools in the country. * Economy/Government— USAIDhelped create a new Afghan currency by facilitating the exchange of 18 trillion old Afghanis over a three-month period. U.S. funds also helped establish direct communications between the Afghan central government andall provincial governments. Infrastructure—Travel in Afghanistan has been made easier through U.S. efforts such as the Kabul-Kandahar-Herat project, which has so far rehabilitated 40 kilometers of road and increased travel speed from 20 miles per hour to 75 miles per hour. U.S. aid helps people in 100 countries across the world, but uses less than one half of one percent of the federal budget. For more information visit www.usaid.gov.
