Afghanistan
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Balkh Education Facility 3 in Afghanistan. In the latest aid problem in Afghanistan, investigators found that a school built for the Balkh province is still unfinished, with structural issues that could pose a danger to students and teachers. “Nearly 5 years after construction began, the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) is unable to transfer the facility to Afghan authorities,†said the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction. The school needs repairs to “a leaking roof, defective electrical wiring, and an improperly sloped terrace roof,†inspectors said, adding that sewer pipes near water sources aren't properly insulated, raising the possibility of contamination. They're also concerned about whether the roof and septic system are designed to hold the weight imposed on them, and that officials cannot assure that the structure “will not collapse at some point in time.†USAID disagreed that the building is structurally unsound. The Army Corps of Engineers which built the school, has “rigorous procedures and requirements for the design and construction of its building projects.†The aid agency did agree that work on the school is incomplete, and said they will fix any remaining problems with the building. The school has yet to be approved for use, but classes were held in the building in 2013. In response, USAID secured the facility to make sure no one used it, but SIGAR noted that Afghan authorities are not pleased about the ongoing delays. The original contract to build the school was just under $3 million, part of a $17.1 million program to build a system of educational facilities across Afghanistan.
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Balkh Education Facility 2 in Afghanistan. In the latest aid problem in Afghanistan, investigators found that a school built for the Balkh province is still unfinished, with structural issues that could pose a danger to students and teachers. “Nearly 5 years after construction began, the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) is unable to transfer the facility to Afghan authorities,†said the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction. The school needs repairs to “a leaking roof, defective electrical wiring, and an improperly sloped terrace roof,†inspectors said, adding that sewer pipes near water sources aren't properly insulated, raising the possibility of contamination. They're also concerned about whether the roof and septic system are designed to hold the weight imposed on them, and that officials cannot assure that the structure “will not collapse at some point in time.†USAID disagreed that the building is structurally unsound. The Army Corps of Engineers which built the school, has “rigorous procedures and requirements for the design and construction of its building projects.†The aid agency did agree that work on the school is incomplete, and said they will fix any remaining problems with the building. The school has yet to be approved for use, but classes were held in the building in 2013. In response, USAID secured the facility to make sure no one used it, but SIGAR noted that Afghan authorities are not pleased about the ongoing delays. The original contract to build the school was just under $3 million, part of a $17.1 million program to build a system of educational facilities across Afghanistan.
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Access point to septic tank at the Balkh Education Facility in Afghanistan. In the latest aid problem in Afghanistan, investigators found that a school built for the Balkh province is still unfinished, with structural issues that could pose a danger to students and teachers. “Nearly 5 years after construction began, the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) is unable to transfer the facility to Afghan authorities,†said the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction. The school needs repairs to “a leaking roof, defective electrical wiring, and an improperly sloped terrace roof,†inspectors said, adding that sewer pipes near water sources aren't properly insulated, raising the possibility of contamination. They're also concerned about whether the roof and septic system are designed to hold the weight imposed on them, and that officials cannot assure that the structure “will not collapse at some point in time.†USAID disagreed that the building is structurally unsound. The Army Corps of Engineers which built the school, has “rigorous procedures and requirements for the design and construction of its building projects.†The aid agency did agree that work on the school is incomplete, and said they will fix any remaining problems with the building. The school has yet to be approved for use, but classes were held in the building in 2013. In response, USAID secured the facility to make sure no one used it, but SIGAR noted that Afghan authorities are not pleased about the ongoing delays. The original contract to build the school was just under $3 million, part of a $17.1 million program to build a system of educational facilities across Afghanistan.
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Balkh Education Facility in Afghanistan. In the latest aid problem in Afghanistan, investigators found that a school built for the Balkh province is still unfinished, with structural issues that could pose a danger to students and teachers. “Nearly 5 years after construction began, the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) is unable to transfer the facility to Afghan authorities,†said the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction. The school needs repairs to “a leaking roof, defective electrical wiring, and an improperly sloped terrace roof,†inspectors said, adding that sewer pipes near water sources aren't properly insulated, raising the possibility of contamination. They're also concerned about whether the roof and septic system are designed to hold the weight imposed on them, and that officials cannot assure that the structure “will not collapse at some point in time.†USAID disagreed that the building is structurally unsound. The Army Corps of Engineers which built the school, has “rigorous procedures and requirements for the design and construction of its building projects.†The aid agency did agree that work on the school is incomplete, and said they will fix any remaining problems with the building. The school has yet to be approved for use, but classes were held in the building in 2013. In response, USAID secured the facility to make sure no one used it, but SIGAR noted that Afghan authorities are not pleased about the ongoing delays. The original contract to build the school was just under $3 million, part of a $17.1 million program to build a system of educational facilities across Afghanistan.
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Balkh Education Facility classroom in Afghanistan. In the latest aid problem in Afghanistan, investigators found that a school built for the Balkh province is still unfinished, with structural issues that could pose a danger to students and teachers. “Nearly 5 years after construction began, the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) is unable to transfer the facility to Afghan authorities,†said the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction. The school needs repairs to “a leaking roof, defective electrical wiring, and an improperly sloped terrace roof,†inspectors said, adding that sewer pipes near water sources aren't properly insulated, raising the possibility of contamination. They're also concerned about whether the roof and septic system are designed to hold the weight imposed on them, and that officials cannot assure that the structure “will not collapse at some point in time.†USAID disagreed that the building is structurally unsound. The Army Corps of Engineers which built the school, has “rigorous procedures and requirements for the design and construction of its building projects.†The aid agency did agree that work on the school is incomplete, and said they will fix any remaining problems with the building. The school has yet to be approved for use, but classes were held in the building in 2013. In response, USAID secured the facility to make sure no one used it, but SIGAR noted that Afghan authorities are not pleased about the ongoing delays. The original contract to build the school was just under $3 million, part of a $17.1 million program to build a system of educational facilities across Afghanistan.
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Paint peeling off classroom ceiling of the Balkh Education Facility in Afghanistan. In the latest aid problem in Afghanistan, investigators found that a school built for the Balkh province is still unfinished, with structural issues that could pose a danger to students and teachers. “Nearly 5 years after construction began, the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) is unable to transfer the facility to Afghan authorities,†said the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction. The school needs repairs to “a leaking roof, defective electrical wiring, and an improperly sloped terrace roof,†inspectors said, adding that sewer pipes near water sources aren't properly insulated, raising the possibility of contamination. They're also concerned about whether the roof and septic system are designed to hold the weight imposed on them, and that officials cannot assure that the structure “will not collapse at some point in time.†USAID disagreed that the building is structurally unsound. The Army Corps of Engineers which built the school, has “rigorous procedures and requirements for the design and construction of its building projects.†The aid agency did agree that work on the school is incomplete, and said they will fix any remaining problems with the building. The school has yet to be approved for use, but classes were held in the building in 2013. In response, USAID secured the facility to make sure no one used it, but SIGAR noted that Afghan authorities are not pleased about the ongoing delays. The original contract to build the school was just under $3 million, part of a $17.1 million program to build a system of educational facilities across Afghanistan.
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This photo provided by Julie Pfeffer shows her niece Lexie Kamerman. Kamerman was among those killed in a Taliban attack against a popular restaurant in Afghanistan last week. The Sun-Times reports Kamerman was working as a student development specialist at American University in Kabul. The family statement says she took the job at American University to help the women of Afghanistan. (AP Photo/Courtesy of Julie Pfeffer, Barb Levant)
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This photo by the Collegiate Water Polo Association shows Lexie Kamerman. Kamerman was among those killed in a Taliban attack against a popular restaurant in Afghanistan last week. The Sun-Times reports Kamerman was working as a student development specialist at American University in Kabul. The family statement says she took the job at American University to help the women of Afghanistan. (AP Photo/Collegiate Water Polo Association, Ed Haas)
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In this undated photo provided by the Afghanistan presidential palace, a body of a young man lies on a bed at an undisclosed location in eastern Parwan province, north of Kabul, Afghanistan. President Hamid Karzai said Sunday, Jan. 19, 2014, that the U.S. can no longer carry out military operations or airstrikes and must jump-start peace talks with the Taliban before his country signs a security deal to keep American troops in Afghanistan after 2014. (AP Photo/Afghanistan presidential palace)
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** FILE ** In this Nov. 3, 2012, file photo, Britain's Prince Harry, right, or just plain Captain Wales as he is known in the British Army, races out from the VHR (very high readiness) tent to scramble his Apache with fellow pilots, during his 12-hour shift at the British-controlled flight-line in Camp Bastion southern Afghanistan. (AP Photo/ John Stillwell, Pool, File)
