Urban Safety: A Review of the Afghanistan Urban Peacebuilding Program

The notion of urban safety is relatively new in policy environment, off and on-budget municipal programing and administrative rules and practices in Afghanistan. The rapid urbanization of the last 16 years has generated specific vulnerabilities, exclusions and insecurities. The urban social fabric that existed in the past and ensured a relative solidarity and a sense of security is broken in most major urban centers. As a result, women and youth are subject to specific safety risks. Most major cities are home to informal settlements and IDP camps. Citizens are not taking part in improving urban safety. Municipal service delivery capacity has not been able to adjust to growing urbanization and municipal governance policies are still in the making.