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The Politics of Humanitarian Rhetoric: Health Aid and Congressional Discourse in the U.S.–Afghanistan Relationship

Year: 2025
Type: dissertation
Abstract: This study explores how U.S. congressional policymakers framed health-related foreign aid to Afghanistan during two pivotal phases: the early intervention years following the 2001 invasion (2001–2004) and the final years before U.S. withdrawal (2019–2022). While health aid is often presented as a humanitarian endeavor, this study explores its dual role as a strategic instrument of foreign policy—shaped by evolving security concerns, political will, and geopolitical priorities. Using qualitative thematic analysis, 47 Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing transcripts were coded and analyzed across five recurring themes: Security, Humanitarian, Diplomatic, Nation-Building, and Domestic Politics. The early period was characterized by rhetoric linking health aid to counterterrorism, stabilization, and optimistic nation-building goals. By contrast, the late period showed a shift toward narratives of reputational management, aid sustainability, and fiscal accountability, reflecting diminished expectations for Afghanistan’s long-term institutional viability. The findings reveal that U.S. congressional discourse around health aid evolved from confident transformation to cautious disengagement. Aid was initially justified as a tool for rebuilding Afghan institutions and advancing U.S. interests through soft power. In later years, it became a means of mitigating the consequences of military withdrawal, maintaining U.S. credibility, and fulfilling residual moral obligations. This rhetorical shift highlights broader implications for the role of health aid in fragile and conflict-affected states. As the international community prepares for future post-conflict reconstruction efforts, understanding how political framing shapes aid allocation is essential. This case study offers valuable lessons about the limitations of externally driven nation-building, the fragility of aid-dependent health systems, and the complex intersection of humanitarian goals with geopolitics.
Author: Tehrani, Nikki Taei
Language: English
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W6887829953
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