Afghanistan Makes Progress on Many Fronts
Following is a fact sheet from the U.S. embassy in Afghanistan September 12 detailing the progress accomplished in Afghanistan during the past month on a variety of fronts
U.S. Embassy, Afghanistan September 12, 2004 Update The focus of the United States and its coalition partners continues to be reconstruction, elections and Disarmament, Demobilization, and Re-integration (DDR). The facts below list progress made in Afghanistan on several fronts over the last month.
Elections & Voter Registration
-- To date over 10.6 million Afghans have registered to vote -- 41 percent of them are women.
-- The presidential election campaign season officially opened September 7.
Education
-- More than 4.8 million children are enrolled in schools throughout the country, the largest number in the history of Afghanistan.
-- 500,000 children are expected to return to the warm-weather school locations this September in the south and east.
Afghan National Army (ANA)
-- The ANA has 13,500 soldiers. There are another 3,000 currently being trained.
Afghan National Police
-- The Afghan National Police has 29,275 police officers (trained by the United States and Germany).
Disarmament, Demobilization, and Re-integration (DDR)
-- 14,665 Afghan Militia Forces have been disarmed since April.
-- 12,720 of those soldiers are about to begin the reintegration program.
Heavy Weapons Cantonment
-- Heavy weapons are now completely cantoned in Kabul.
-- Cantonment continues in Gardez, Mazar, and Jalalabad and will begin in Konduz today (September 12).
Infrastructure
-- Work began on the Kandahar to Tirin Kowt Road. The road will be complete at the end of 2005. Refugee & IDP return
-- Over 600,000 refugees and internally displaced persons have returned to their homes since January 2004.
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