[{"bbox": [97, 152, 1135, 233], "category": "Text", "text": "Senior Officials meeting at the end of June 2023, acknowledged the *Framework for International Partner Support in Afghanistan*, which lays out a collaborative approach towards supporting basic human needs in Afghanistan over the period 2023-2025."}, {"bbox": [97, 244, 1135, 403], "category": "Text", "text": "The World Bank-administered Afghanistan Resilience Trust Fund (ARTF) remains the primary multi-donor trust fund for Afghanistan. Beyond its coordination role, the ARTF supports the international donor community and aid implementors with solid analytical capacity and third-party monitoring of ARTF interventions. Moreover, although with no direct contribution from the EU, the Asian Development Bank (ADB)'s significant investment in welfare and livelihoods of vulnerable Afghan people, provides opportunities for complementarity and coordination with this Action."}, {"bbox": [97, 416, 1135, 630], "category": "Text", "text": "As for Team Europe coordination, the EU works closely with Member States, Norway and Switzerland. EU Member States that provide basic needs assistance to the Afghan population, and that are therefore represented in Team Europe coordination discussions led by the EU are Czech Republic, France, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain and Sweden. Coordination happens regularly and at different levels in mission-format, and involves joint analysis, and coordination of positions before ACG meetings. While only the EU is present in Afghanistan, the EU and its Member States also coordinate closely on the topic of the regional Afghan displacement situation, through a dedicated Team Europe Initiative covering humanitarian and development funds implemented in Afghanistan and the region for the benefit of displaced populations and the host communities."}, {"bbox": [97, 641, 1135, 1040], "category": "Text", "text": "Afghan and international CSOs play a crucial role in providing not only humanitarian relief to communities and households, but also basic needs assistance, particularly in a context of non-engagement by the international donor community with the Taliban de facto authorities. Since the Taliban de facto authorities' announcement on 24 December 2022, national women staff are not allowed to work in national or international NGOs, with exceptions obtained later for the health and education sectors. Civil society partners have largely learned to navigate Taliban restrictions while safeguarding principled aid delivery, but have been put in a highly vulnerable position with de facto authorities. The situation for civil society in Afghanistan is considerably fluid. Changes around policy and practice can change at a days notice. The European Union places great importance on the voices of Afghan women in the country and abroad. Regular consultations with CSOs and women activists are organised, as well as with media representatives. A review of the EU's Roadmap for Engagement with Civil Society in 2022 has analysed the current context for local CSOs operating in the country and identified ways that could allow to work with CSOs in all their diversity. In parallel to the roadmap process, the EU attends civil society coordination meetings in Kabul and holds regular bilateral consultations with local and international representatives of CSOs active in Afghanistan. Since January 2023, the EU has established an online *Basic Needs Forum* gathering key international NGO partners on a monthly basis."}, {"bbox": [97, 1051, 1135, 1184], "category": "Text", "text": "Besides NGOs, other segments of the civil society, such as local associations and community-based structures, are important partners of EU aid implementers. EU-funded projects support and build on the presence of community development councils (CDCs), local sectoral committees, and traditional community structures. They constitute important stakeholders in sustaining livelihoods, job creation, community assets, and inclusively representing the interests of their (male and female) community members."}, {"bbox": [97, 1196, 274, 1221], "category": "Section-header", "text": "## Economic context"}, {"bbox": [97, 1235, 1135, 1449], "category": "Text", "text": "In 2023, more than 9 in 10 people live in poverty and around 40% of the population (17.2 million) have been affected by high levels of acute food insecurity in April (IPC Phase 3 or 4)⁷. Already in pre-Taliban times, poverty and food insecurity have primarily been the results of weak public services and the lack of a stable income by households, but they have been exacerbated by the crisis triggered in August 2021. Funding from international donors is expected to decrease with bleak outlook for 2024 across all sectors, and affecting humanitarian assistance, as well as resilience and livelihoods interventions. Only 27% of the USD 3.23 billion S(equivalent to EUR 3.06 billion based on the exchange rate on 13 October 2023) required for the Humanitarian Response Plan (HRP – revised in May) were funded as of 31 July 2023."}, {"bbox": [97, 1460, 1135, 1567], "category": "Text", "text": "After a sharp economic contraction and a domestic inflation spike in the aftermath of the Taliban takeover, the Afghan economy has somewhat recovered in 2023. According to the World Bank, the year-on-year headline inflation has dropped to negative 2.83%⁸ as of May 2023, resulting mainly from stabilised food prices, improved commodity supply, reduced tariffs on key imports, controlled currency exports, and appreciation of the Afghani"}, {"bbox": [85, 1596, 799, 1622], "category": "Footnote", "text": "⁷ https://www.ipcinfo.org/ipc-country-analysis/details-map/en/c/1156351/?iso3=AFG"}, {"bbox": [85, 1621, 635, 1646], "category": "Footnote", "text": "⁸ Afghanistan Economic Monitor, The World Bank, July 31, 2023"}, {"bbox": [1038, 1681, 1144, 1706], "category": "Page-footer", "text": "Page 7 of 33"}]