[{"bbox": [85, 154, 323, 187], "category": "Section-header", "text": "2 RATIONALE"}, {"bbox": [85, 220, 234, 247], "category": "Section-header", "text": "2.1 Context"}, {"bbox": [96, 266, 1134, 691], "category": "Text", "text": "Almost three years since the collapse of the Islamic Republic and the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan on 15 August 2021, the country continues to face enormous challenges hindering economic recovery and social welfare, as well as rights-based, inclusive and representative governance. Despite some signs of macroeconomic recovery, albeit at a low and fragile level, private sector resilience, reduced corruption, progress on poppy reduction, and the absence of war across the country, Afghanistan remains affected by one of the world's largest humanitarian and socio-economic crises. One in every two Afghans is affected by monetary poverty⁴ and 62% of the population are not able to meet their basic needs⁵, while external aid continues drying up. Widespread acute food insecurity and malnutrition are of high concern and may be further exacerbated by economic downturn and eroding purchasing power, as well as increasing climate vulnerability and natural disasters. Severe and prolonged droughts threaten rain-fed agriculture, climate change is exacerbating water scarcity (also provoking displacement), and desertification and soil degradation are affecting farming and livelihoods. The second half of 2023 has been deeply marked by the four consecutive Herat earthquakes in October 2023 and the deportation and return of undocumented ethnic Afghans residing in Pakistan and Iran. Out of the nearly 2 million Afghans having returned to the country in 2023, around 0.5 million Afghans had returned between mid-September and mid-December from Pakistan following the Government of Pakistan's announcement to deport of up to 1.7 million (undocumented) Afghans. The third quarter also witnessed an increased risk of refoulement from Iran."}, {"bbox": [96, 702, 1134, 862], "category": "Text", "text": "The de facto authorities remain largely unable to articulate comprehensive sector policies, and ensure fiscal transparency and macroeconomic stability. Institutionalised and systemic human rights violations and discrimination, particulary targeting women and girls, have been endemic under Taliban rule. Any past gains made in the social sectors, notably health and education, are put at risk by the de facto authorities' abuses against women and girls, lack of capacity, and highly insufficient public investment. The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) estimated that an Afghan economy restricting women from working would result into a 5% GDP cut⁶."}, {"bbox": [96, 874, 1134, 1323], "category": "Text", "text": "Human rights defenders and media workers as well as ethnic, religious and other minority groups remain highly exposed to repressions by the Taliban de facto authorities. Subsequent decrees issued by the Taliban de facto authorities violating notably women's and girls' rights to education, work, leisure, and freedom of movement, have drastically reduced the operating space for aid implementors and severely challenged principled service delivery. Considering these developments, the EU, together with international partners from both the humanitarian and basic needs communities, put into place a robust framework for principled assistance and monitoring mechanisms since February 2023 to ensure that the \"for women by women\" principle is continued. There are 'exemptions' formally granted by the Taliban de facto authorities to the December 2022 ban on Afghan female NGO and UN workers. These exemptions are applied in the health, nutrition and primary education sectors. Beyond these exempted sectors, implementing partners have, at great difficulty, overall managed to navigate Taliban restrictions, among others by finding localised solutions safeguarding access to women by women. Within this highly volatile context, opportunities for building resilience of communities and individuals persist through basic social services, community-based safety nets, and livelihoods support including agriculture, income generation, and climate adaptation. Local communities, grassroots organisations, and private sector, have even more than before become key actors of change in Afghanistan. Despite all difficulties in aid implementation, partners welcome an improved security situation, which allows them to reach beneficiaries in previously inaccessible areas."}, {"bbox": [96, 1337, 1134, 1498], "category": "Text", "text": "It is recognised that the emergency response alone is insufficient to address the current challenges and associated risks, and only delays a looming socio-economic crisis (but cannot not avert it). Therefore, basic needs assistance is a necessary complement to provide the population with some medium-term perspective, create a set of stabilising factors and put a break on the ever-increasing humanitarian needs of the population. For the purpose of ensuring a coordinated approach, the Afghanistan Coordination Group (ACG) developed, with substantial EU involvement, the ACG Framework for International Partner Support in Afghanistan (2023-2025). Subsequently, the United"}, {"bbox": [85, 1573, 666, 1597], "category": "Footnote", "text": "⁴ Afghanistan Economic Monitor, The World Bank, October 30, 2023"}, {"bbox": [85, 1597, 790, 1622], "category": "Footnote", "text": "⁵ Afghanistan Welfare Monitoring Survey, Round 3, The World Bank, October 2023"}, {"bbox": [85, 1622, 838, 1646], "category": "Footnote", "text": "⁶ Afghanistan Socio-Economic Outlook 2021-2022: Averting a Basic Needs Crisis, UNDP"}, {"bbox": [1038, 1682, 1144, 1706], "category": "Page-footer", "text": "Page 5 of 38"}]