Afghanistan: Sustaining Essential Services Delivery Project (Support for Afghan People)

Sovereign Project | 55343-001

The project will provide financing to United Nations agencies (Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, United Nations Development Programme, United Nations Children's Fund, and the World Food Programme to help sustain delivery of essential services to the people of Afghanistan and secure the basis for the future development of the country through enhancing food security, maintaining provision of core public health services, sustaining access to primary and secondary education (especially for girls), and ensuring project implementation and monitoring capacity. Delivery of the project will be through the non-governmental organizations. As ADB placed on hold its sovereign and non-sovereign assistance to Afghanistan effective 15 August 2021, the implementation of this project will be outside of the public financial management system.

Project Details

  • Project Officer
    ADB Disclosure
    Central and West Asia Department
    Request for information
  • Country/Economy
    Afghanistan
  • Sector
    • Agriculture, natural resources and rural development
Project Name Sustaining Essential Services Delivery Project (Support for Afghan People)
Project Number 55343-001
Country / Economy Afghanistan
Project Status Active
Project Type / Modality of Assistance Grant
Source of Funding / Amount
Grant 0819-AFG: Sustaining Essential Services Delivery Project (Support for Afghan People)
Asian Development Fund US$ 65.00 million
Grant 0820-AFG: Sustaining Essential Services Delivery Project (Support for Afghan People)
Asian Development Fund US$ 5.00 million
Grant 0821-AFG: Sustaining Essential Services Delivery Project (Support for Afghan People)
Asian Development Fund US$ 200.00 million
Grant 0822-AFG: Sustaining Essential Services Delivery Project (Support for Afghan People)
Asian Development Fund US$ 135.00 million
Strategic Agendas Inclusive economic growth
Drivers of Change Gender Equity and Mainstreaming
Partnerships
Sector / Subsector

Agriculture, natural resources and rural development / Agricultural production

Education / Education sector development

Health / Health system development
Gender Equity and Mainstreaming Effective gender mainstreaming
Description The project will provide financing to United Nations agencies (Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, United Nations Development Programme, United Nations Children's Fund, and the World Food Programme to help sustain delivery of essential services to the people of Afghanistan and secure the basis for the future development of the country through enhancing food security, maintaining provision of core public health services, sustaining access to primary and secondary education (especially for girls), and ensuring project implementation and monitoring capacity. Delivery of the project will be through the non-governmental organizations. As ADB placed on hold its sovereign and non-sovereign assistance to Afghanistan effective 15 August 2021, the implementation of this project will be outside of the public financial management system.
Project Rationale and Linkage to Country/Regional Strategy Afghanistan is classified by ADB as Fragile and Conflict-Affected Situations country and has been affected by conflict for extended period. In response to the Taliban regime takeover on 15 August 2021, the development partner financing, which accounted for 75% of public expenditures in recent years, has been suspended. The country's foreign reserves held abroad have also been frozen. After the takeover, trade and investment into Afghanistan have ceased. The financial sector has been pushed to a liquidity crisis due to the freeze on foreign transactions and stoppage of money printing abroad. This is superimposed on the adverse effects of drought, which led to poor harvests and high food prices, and economic disruptions because of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic. This has also led to massive displacement of people domestically, with 570,000 internally displaced persons in September 2021. The economy is projected to have contracted by 30% in 2021, driving the country to near universal poverty in 2022.
Impact

The people of Afghanistan supported by saving lives, providing essential services, and sustaining community systems addressing basic human needs.
Project Outcome
Description of Outcome

Delivery of essential public services and food security sustained to ease adverse impacts of economic disruptions on the welfare and livelihoods of vulnerable Afghan people
Progress Toward Outcome
Implementation Progress
Description of Project Outputs

Food security enhanced

Delivery of core health services continued

Access to primary and secondary education sustained

Monitoring and implementation capacity strengthened
Status of Implementation Progress (Outputs, Activities, and Issues)

Lobbying at different levels is ongoing to lift the ban on female girls' access to secondary education or make it more flexible.

Lobbying at different levels is ongoing to lift the ban on female girls' access to secondary education or make it more flexible.

Lobbying at different levels is ongoing to lift the ban on female girls' access to secondary education or make it more flexible.
Geographical Location Nation-wide
Safeguard Categories
Environment C
Involuntary Resettlement C
Indigenous Peoples C
Summary of Environmental and Social Aspects
Environmental Aspects
Involuntary Resettlement
Indigenous Peoples
Stakeholder Communication, Participation, and Consultation
During Project Design
During Project Implementation
Responsible ADB Officer ADB Disclosure
Responsible ADB Department Central and West Asia Department
Responsible ADB Division Afghanistan Resident Mission
Timetable
Concept Clearance -
Fact Finding 29 Oct 2021 to 29 Oct 2021
MRM 14 Dec 2021
Approval 25 Jan 2022
Last Review Mission -
Last PDS Update 21 Jul 2022

Grant 0819-AFG

Milestones
Approval Signing Date Effectivity Date Closing
Original Revised Actual
25 Jan 2022 08 Feb 2022 08 Feb 2022 31 Dec 2024 - -
Financing Plan Grant Utilization
Total (Amount in US$ million) Date ADB Others Net Percentage
Project Cost 65.00 Cumulative Contract Awards
ADB 65.00 25 Jan 2023 46.58 0.00 72%
Counterpart 0.00 Cumulative Disbursements
Cofinancing 0.00 25 Jan 2023 65.00 0.00 100%
Status of Covenants
Category Sector Safeguards Social Financial Economic Others
Rating - Satisfactory - - - Satisfactory

Grant 0820-AFG

Milestones
Approval Signing Date Effectivity Date Closing
Original Revised Actual
25 Jan 2022 04 Feb 2022 04 Feb 2022 31 Dec 2024 - -
Financing Plan Grant Utilization
Total (Amount in US$ million) Date ADB Others Net Percentage
Project Cost 5.00 Cumulative Contract Awards
ADB 5.00 25 Jan 2023 0.61 0.00 12%
Counterpart 0.00 Cumulative Disbursements
Cofinancing 0.00 25 Jan 2023 3.00 0.00 60%
Status of Covenants
Category Sector Safeguards Social Financial Economic Others
Rating - Satisfactory - - - Satisfactory

Grant 0821-AFG

Milestones
Approval Signing Date Effectivity Date Closing
Original Revised Actual
25 Jan 2022 01 Feb 2022 04 Feb 2022 31 Dec 2024 - -
Financing Plan Grant Utilization
Total (Amount in US$ million) Date ADB Others Net Percentage
Project Cost 200.00 Cumulative Contract Awards
ADB 200.00 25 Jan 2023 55.23 0.00 28%
Counterpart 0.00 Cumulative Disbursements
Cofinancing 0.00 25 Jan 2023 101.33 0.00 51%
Status of Covenants
Category Sector Safeguards Social Financial Economic Others
Rating - Satisfactory - - - Satisfactory

Grant 0822-AFG

Milestones
Approval Signing Date Effectivity Date Closing
Original Revised Actual
25 Jan 2022 29 Mar 2022 29 Mar 2022 31 Dec 2024 - -
Financing Plan Grant Utilization
Total (Amount in US$ million) Date ADB Others Net Percentage
Project Cost 135.00 Cumulative Contract Awards
ADB 135.00 25 Jan 2023 78.38 0.00 58%
Counterpart 0.00 Cumulative Disbursements
Cofinancing 0.00 25 Jan 2023 135.00 0.00 100%
Status of Covenants
Category Sector Safeguards Social Financial Economic Others
Rating - Satisfactory - - - Satisfactory

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