Afghanistan Insurance

When operating in Afghanistan, insurance needs to be top of your list. All of your insurance in Afghanistan – be it health and protection for your people, cover for property and equipment or liabilities, must include special war and terrorism provisions.

Official risk ratings

Afghanistan insurance – quick facts

• No part of Afghanistan can be considered safe from terrorism
• International health insurance in Afghanistan is essential; cover for emergency evacuation and Kidnap and Ransom insurance is highly recommended
• If working on international contracts, there may be strict insurance requirements, including Defence Base Act insurance for US military or US sponsored public works contracts 
• Operating in Afghanistan can be complicated. Cover for operational Liabilities  and Trade and Political Risk is highly recommended. 

What's it like to operate in Afghanistan?

With US and British troops pulling out of Afghanistan and public statements by the Taliban which may increase the possibility of attacks, the country is considered extremely high-risk at the moment. 

Despite that, there are many companies and NGO’s involved in rebuilding and developing infrastructure and civil society, and Bellwood Prestbury continues to provide protection for many people working here. Indeed, we have been supporting a broad range of clients in Afghanistan since 2002. One of our senior brokers, Adrian Henry, spent seven years living in Kabul, so we know how people operate here and understand the risks. (See Living in Kabul)

Obviously, protecting your people will be a priority. Personal Accident insurance and Medical Emergency and Evacuation cover is strongly advised and must include provision for terrorism and political violence. Evacuation is not just about terrorist threats; a medical emergency like appendicitis or a road traffic accident is also covered, since healthcare is extremely poor by western standards.

Kidnap & Ransom insurance is also recommended, as foreign nationals and locals associated with foreign companies can be targets for kidnap and extortion.

Protecting any property, investments or specialist equipment is also key and will require specialist war and terrorism inclusions that we can organise direct through Lloyd’s of London.

Finally you need to think about your liabilities. Afghanistan can be a complicated place to operate, so proper protection against contract disputes, professional indemnity and other specialist covers is worth considering. Trade and Political Risk insurance can cover operational liabilities too.

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