U.S. aid plan seeks to shield Afghanistan from end to war economy

U.S. military advisors for NATO Training Mission-Afghanistan (NTM-A) conduct Combat First Aid lessons with Afghan policemen inside a police station in Khas Konar district in Kunar province, eastern Afghanistan October 6, 2011. REUTERS/Erik De Castro

KABUL (Reuters) - The Obama administration will unveil on Monday a package of aid initiatives it hopes will help Afghanistan, still one of the world's poorest countries after a dozen years of massive international aid efforts, shield itself from the departure of foreign troops and an expected drop in assistance.

The announcement from the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) of three new development initiatives worth almost $300 million is part of a U.S. effort to ensure that Afghanistan, as its 'war economy' ends, won't slide backwards into greater poverty or reverse gains made over the last 12 years in health, education and other areas.