The government has been urged to review its aid programme in Afghanistan focusing on poverty reduction after it emerged some projects designed to boost economic growth are failing.

The Independent Commission for Aid Impact (ICAI) said "significant improvements should be made" to the Department for International Development's bilateral support for growth and livelihoods in Afghanistan.

ICAI reported that British-funded projects to remove landmines and build roads had done well.

But it found that there was "no evidence of long-term sustainable change" as a result of a £19 million rural development programme.

Some programmes were overambitious and may struggle to survive after the withdrawal of international troops from Afghanistan, the report warned.

It urged DFID to ensure that the intended beneficiaries of schemes are consulted on the design of projects, to ensure that their actual needs are addressed.

ICAI acknowledged that Afghanistan is one of the most difficult places in the world to deliver aid but said: "It is not clear however how positive impacts will in all cases be sustained in the long term."

But John Hilary of anti-poverty charity War on Want said: "Britain's imperial venture in Afghanistan has brought nothing but disaster for the Afghan people.

"No amount of aid projects can undo the harm caused by so many years of military occupation and conflict.

"What the Afghan people desperately need is a chance to rebuild their lives in peace and security, which is precisely what has been denied them."