1. Humanitarian Assistance & Disaster Recovery in Afghanistan: Ongoing Debate on Best Instruments from Czech Perspective Irena Descubes

4. Agenda Should military and humanitarian-civilian operations be clearly split? Humanitarian assistance and disaster recovery operatory modes and strategies – the Czech-led PRT, Lógar province – Specificities of People in Need (PIN)

5. Clear split versus “winning hearts and minds”? Blurry borders – NGOs as a “force multiplier” for the US army (Colin Powell, 2001) – PRTs “designed to improve security, extend the reach of the Afghan government and facilitate reconstruction in priority provinces” (US Department of State, 2006) – …“independent humanitarian action, which involved unarmed aid workers going into areas of conflict to provide aid, had become impossible in Afghanistan” (Buissonnière, 2004).

7. Humanitarian assistance & disaster recovery - PIN

8. Czech-led PRT

9. After 2014? “…the lead nations of Provincial Reconstruction Teams (PRTs) should establish and implement a plan to gradually phase out PRT-provided assistance and other militarized forms of aid. This transition strategy should prioritize an increase in funding and support for national and international civilian organizations.” ( A Joint Briefing Paper by 29 Aid Organizations Working in Afghanistan for the NATO Heads of Government Summit, Lisbon, November 19-20, 2010 )

10. Some recommendations for ISAF and PRTs to conclude… Stop duplicating the missions undertaken by the INGOs Focus on: – training of Afghani security forces – cutting the insurgency forces’ resources stemming from grey economy and trace the narcotics network back to its ringleaders – Gradually phase out PRT-provided and other militarized forms of reconstruction aid – Forward grants to national and international civilian organizations

11. Thank you for your attention!