KANDAHAR – Peace, development and humanitarian assistance go hand in hand, said participants at a coordination meeting this week between United Nations agencies and provincial administration officials in the southern province of Kandahar.

Kandahar Governor, Hayatullah Hayat, delivered opening remarks where he expressed thanks for the assistance provided by UN agencies for the people of the southern province.

“I appreciate the support provided by UN agencies in Kandahar and the southern region as a whole to hundreds of thousands of vulnerable people. Moreover, during the COVID-19 crisis, the UN provided remarkable assistance to the people of Kandahar and the south as a whole,” he said.

“Today we are here to discuss how to further strengthen our partnership and expand our outreach activities to those areas which are deprived of basic services. The aim is to provide a balanced development opportunity for all,” said the Governor.

The meeting was attended by the representatives of all UN agencies working in the Kandahar region with UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) officials, the provincial Governor and heads of line departments, as well as and the Deputy Minister for Economy, Hamid Hamdard, along with his delegation from Kabul.

The Deputy Minister for Economy hailed the level of cooperation between the local administration and UN agencies in Kandahar and emphasized the need to further strengthening this partnership. He stressed the importance of balanced development targeting rural areas and information sharing.

The representatives of UN agencies provided a summary of their activities carried out in the southern region in the fields of health, education, food and non-food delivery to IDPs and BDPs, agriculture, mine action and other priority areas. The UN representatives reported that all their activities are carried out in consultation and coordination with the local administrations in the region. Security was categorized as a major obstacle for service delivery in remote areas.

Both the Government and UN agencies acknowledged that good coordination mechanisms will further enhance their partnership so that they are able to provide assistance to the most needy communities.

UNAMA chairs the UN Regional Team for the Southern Region and works with various institutions and individuals, including media stations, religious leaders, provincial councils, community leaders, youth groups and women to create platforms – using radio, social media, and television – for Afghans to engage in dialogue on pressing issues affecting their communities.