July 13, 2007

Overview

Schoolchildren among dozens dead in continuing violence across restive south this week

Dozens of civilians, including 12 Afghan schoolchildren, were killed in separate incidents of violence across Afghanistan’s restive south this week. At least 30 suspected Taliban militants were killed in two separate clashes in southern Helmand province yesterday (Thursday, July 12) and today (Friday, July 13). Six Afghan policemen were killed yesterday when their vehicle was struck by a roadside bomb in the southeastern province of Khost. The vehicle was part of a convoy of US-led coalition forces. None of the coalition troops suffered injuries. In another incident, Afghan and US-led coalition forces killed at least 11 suspected Taliban insurgents in a clash in southern Uruzgan province yesterday. Two Afghan civilians were also killed yesterday and three others wounded in a roadside bomb blast in Waza Khwa district in southeastern Paktika province. A British soldier on the NATO-led force was also killed in a clash in Helmand yesterday. A suicide bomb attack near a NATO-led convoy in a crowded marketplace in Dehrawood district in south-central Uruzgan province killed at least 17 people, including 12 schoolchildren. UN special envoy to Afghanistan, Tom Koenigs, condemned the attack against innocent civilians and children, which he said was unacceptable in any culture and religion.

Afghan government to check reports of civilian casualties in NATO-led airstrikes

Afghan officials said last weekend (Saturday, July 7) that they were checking reports of heavy civilian casualties in airstrikes carried out by NATO and US-led coalition forces last Friday (July 6) in the country's east and west. The airstrikes were carried out in western Farah province and southeastern Kunar province, and reportedly killed well over 100 civilians. Abdul Qadir Daqeq, head of the provincial council in Farah, said he had received a letter from district council officials in Bala Baluk district that 108 civilians, including women and children, as well as thirty-three militants, have been killed in airstrikes since last Thursday (July 5). He said due to persistent insecurity, officials could not go to the area. Major John Thomas, a spokesman for NATO, told reporters that airstrikes were called in to support Afghan forces, adding that officials had "no information" to support the civilian casualty claims.

UN food agency resumes food deliveries to western Afghanistan

The United Nations World Food Program (WFP) said on Wednesday (July 11) that it has resumed some food deliveries along the southern ring road, allowing it to deliver food to Afghanistan's western region. Rick Corsino, WFP Country Director for Afghanistan said, "While there are still major problems, getting trucks moving again along the major ring road is an important breakthrough for our operations, particularly in the western region where WFP has been unable to distribute promised food to tens of thousands." He said the resumption will bring welcome relief to some 100,000 vulnerable Afghans who have been waiting for weeks for food. He said since July 4, WFP had already transported some 280 metric tons of food from the southern province of Kandahar to the western province of Herat. He said food deliveries from Herat to Kandahar and eastern Afghanistan remain suspended due to insecurity. The WFP has not been able to move over 1,200 metric tons of biscuits that arrived from Iran for some 940,000 schoolchildren. Corsino said he plans to gradually increase movements along the southern ring road, provided security conditions remain acceptable. He said he would want to get back to normal operations as soon as possible, moving 1,500 to 2,000 tons of food along the road each week. In late May, WFP suspended some of its food deliveries to parts of southern, eastern and western Afghanistan, following a series of looting and attacks on its food convoys.

More than 10,000 people, mostly children, affected with diarrhea across several flood-stricken provinces

The United Nations Integrated Regional Information Network (IRIN) reported yesterday (Thursday, July 12) that more than 10,000 people, mostly children, have been affected by diarrhea in four flood-stricken provinces across the country, including the capital of Kabul. The diarrhea outbreak is attributed to the contamination of drinking water sources as result of recent flooding. Citing provincial health workers, IRIN reported that 20 children have died in several districts of Daikundi and Balkh provinces over the past five weeks. In the western provinces of Herat, some 3,800 people have been treated for gastrointestinal disorders over the past three weeks. Cases of diarrhea have also been reported in the southern provinces of Helmand, Khost, Kandahar and eastern Nangarhar province. Diarrhea outbreaks following torrential rains and subsequent flooding are not uncommon. Excess rains and ensuing flooding often contaminate sources of drinking water that generally leads to diarrhea and other waterborne diseases, especially during warmer temperatures.

Movement

2007 4.2 million refugees have returned to Afghanistan, and 500,000 IDPs returned home since early 2002. Close to 3 million of the refugees returned from Pakistan. 2.6 million Afghans remain in Pakistan, including one million in 74 long-term camps. About 1.5 million Afghans returned from Iran; Taking into account unassisted returns, perhaps 600,000 to 700,000 Afghans remain in Iran—up to 30,000 are in seven camps.

Iran deported some 85,000 unregistered refugees to Afghanistan during April 21 - May 14, 2007. Iranian officials say they plan to initially send back 500,000 of over a million illegal refugees in the country. Earlier this week, Iran said it has reached an agreement with the Afghan government to slow down the pace of expulsions for illegal Afghans living in the country.

Some 200,000 Afghan refugees in Pakistan have returned to their homes under the UN-assisted voluntary Afghan refugee repatriation program since it resumed on March 1, 2007, following a seasonal winter suspension. Pakistani authorities say voluntary repatriation of Afghan refugees in Pakistan that are without proof of registration (PoR) ended this week (April 15), and refugees remaining in the country without PoR are now considered illegal and subject to government action. Repatriation campaign for Afghan refugees with PoR

2006 UNHCR expects to assist 550,000 returnees—400,000 from Pakistan and 150,000 from Iran. However, so far this year only some 60,000 Afghan refugees have repatriated from Pakistan. Unassisted returns are a factor from Pakistan and have been a major contributor to returns from Iran. The tripartite arrangement among UNHCR-Afghanistan-Pakistan is good through 2006; The UNHCR-Afghanistan-Iran Joint Program has been extended into 2007. Repatriation from Pakistan, halted for the winter, recommenced on March 1. UNHCR assisted nearly 9,000 refugees in returning from Pakistan and over 500 from Iran during March. In April 2006, Pakistan will close two long-term camps in NWFP, and two in Baluchistan Province with 250,000 long-term residents. Refugees in Baluchistan can either return to Afghanistan or relocate to Mohammad Kheil camp near Quetta. Refugees in NWFP are moving to Afghanistan or one of ten camps in NWFP—refugees are pushing for a one-year delay.

2005 plans called for 400,000 Afghan refugees to return home from Pakistan and 200,000 from Iran, down from an earlier 350,000 estimated from Iran. 453,000 returned from Pakistan. 67,000 from Iran were assisted and over 210,000 returned on their own to Iran for a total of nearly 280,000, and a combined Pakistan and Iran total of 733,000—close to the original projection.

2004 plans were for one million to return. Actual returnees were around 850,000, with 385,000 from Pakistan and 460,000 from Iran, including 80,000 spontaneous returns. Pakistan closed camps in South Waziristan and all new camps, with remaining new refugees going to Mohamed Kheil camp in Baluchistan Province.

Emphasis in 2003 was on repatriation from old camps and cities in Pakistan to rural areas in Afghanistan. 70% of returnees from Pakistan were from cities and 30% from camps. Over a third returned to Kabul, another 10% went to other central provinces, and just over 20% returned to each of the north and east. The Southern region received 6% and the Western region 4%. The 2003 peak months were June and July.

In 2002 over 2.3 million Afghan refugees returned with 2 million assisted by UNHCR. UNHCR repatriated 1.53 million Afghan refugees from Pakistan, including 125,000 from Baluchistan and 1.4 million from the North West Frontier Province. 82% were from urban areas; only 3% were from new camps. 265,000 refugees were assisted in returning from Iran; and 10,000 refugees from the central Asian republics.

Afghanistan Relief Efforts: United Nations Coordination Regions

Central Region

Location	Central Region
Coordination
Population	An avalanche in the Murgab area in central Ghor killed at least 16 people. On March 19 floods killed 30 people in Uruzgan province.
IDP Movement
Food	According to local officials, thousands of students attending 40 schools in Ghazni province have not received WFP food assistance for over a month due to insecurity. FAO on July 5 said that 6.5 million Afghans suffer from chronic food insecurity. (July 8, IRIN)
Health	Typhoid fever has claimed five lives and infected some 200 others in the Charsada district of central Ghor province. (Feb. 15, People’s Daily Online) At least 20 children have died in several districts of central Daikundi and northern Balkh provinces over the past five weeks due to water contamination from floods. (IRIN, July 12)
NFIs -Shelter	IOM, UNICEF, UNOCHA, & OXFAM
Water & Sanitation	UNICEF
Security	New Zealand PRT in Bamiyan In Uruzgan (Oruzgan) province, nine civilians and a Dutch soldier were killed in a suicide car bomb attack on a Dutch NATO convoy in the provincial capital of Tirin Kot on June 15. 11 other civilians were injured. (June 15, BBC)
Comments

East Central Region

Location	East Central Region
Coordination	UNHCR
Population
IDP Movement	UN; Government encouraging refugees to return to home provinces to limit burden on Kabul—government land distribution program only in province of origin;
Food	ISAF troops carried out a two-day food donation near the village of Gulbagh in Chahar Asiab district, (Feb. 11, NATO) IRC, Action Contra la Faim; WFP;
Health	UNICEF, CARITAS, MSF, IFRC, IRC, ICRC; Kabul is home to the world’s worst outbreak of leishmaniasis, thought to have spread to hundreds of thousands of people. The sandflies that spread the parasites causing the disease are present in all Afghan cities, but more prominently in poor, crowded areas where they breed on waste land and in trash. (Reuters, May 7) More than 10,000 people, mostly children, have been affected by diarrhea in flood-stricken provinces across the country, including Kabul. (IRIN, July 12)
Non-Food Items - Shelter	UNHCR, ACTED, MSF, IRC, ICRC, IOM;
Security
Water & Sanitation	ICRC;
Comments	Floods triggered by spring rains continue to affect districts in Kunar, Laghman and Nangarhar provinces. Floods have killed 13 people in Kunar and another eight in Laghman. Nearly 3,000 people have been affected by the floods in these provinces. (OCHA, Apr. 5)

Eastern Region

Location	Eastern Region
Coordination	UNHCR, International Islamic Relief Organization;
Population
IDP Movement	UNHCR
Food	IRC;
Health	FAO confirmed cases of the H5N1 type of bird flu in poultry in the eastern city of Jalalabad in Nangarhar province and in Sawki district in Kunar province. (FAO, Feb. 26) Jalalabad PRT distributed hygiene kits, first-aid kits, tarps, school kits, and student kits to the Char Bagh Girls Middle School in Sirjkh Rod District, in Nangarhar province. (NATO, Feb. 11) Provincial officials in southern Khost, Kandahar and eastern Nangarhar provinces have confirmed hundreds of diarrhea cases due to water contamination from recent floods. (IRIN, July 11)
Non-Food Items - Shelter	CWS, UNICEF
Security
Water & Sanitation	CARITAS; ICRC, UNICEF
Comments

Northeastern Region

Location	Northeastern Region
Coordination
Population	9,000 active IDPs in North and Northeast
Movement IDPs
Food
Health	WHO, Merlin, UNICEF, MSF; ICRC
Non-Food Items (NFIs) -Shelter	UNICEF, ACTED, Refugees Int’l, Mercy Corps
Security	NATO/German PRT in Faizabad
Water & Sanitation
Comments	At least 24 people were killed in flash floods caused by torrential rains in northeastern Badakhshan province on May 15. (IRIN, May 16)

Northern Region

Location	Northern Region
Coordination	UNHCR, IOM
Population	9,000 active IDPs in North and Northeast; 60,000 IDPs from North elsewhere in country;
Movement IDPs	IOM
Food
Health	MSF, ICRC, UNICEF; At least 20 children have died in several districts of northern Balkh and central Daikundi provinces over the past five weeks due to water contamination from floods. (IRIN, July 12)
NFIs –Shelter	IOM, ACTED, Mercy Corps
Security
Water & Sanitation	UNICEF, ICRC, DACAAR
Comments	A landslide triggered by heavy rain on Sunday (June 24) killed six children in Kunduz province. (IFRC, June 29) On Wednesday (June 27) floods in Panjshir province killed 24 people and injured 40 others. (June 29, IFRC)

Southern Region

Location	Southern Region
Coordination	UNHCR
Population	IFRC says that flash floods and avalanches in early March have affected 2,200 families in Helmand/Sangreen Grishk, Musa Qala, and Nowzad districts; and 400 families in Uruzgan/Dehraud district. (IFRC, March 23).
Movement of IDPs	About 2,000 people, mostly women and children, have fled their homes in several parts of Helmand province due to heavy fighting between Taliban insurgents and NATO-led forces. (IRIN, July 9)
Food	ISAF troops delivered some eight tons of food and non-food items and medical supplies to a village near Kandahar. (NATO, Mar. 28) UNICEF; Mercy Corps; CARITAS; WFP; MRRD, in conjunction with the WFP, plans to distribute 5,820 metric tons of food during 2007 to 50,820 food insecure families (304,920 individuals) under a food-for-work scheme. (GOA, Feb.22)
Health	ICRC is considering the Afghan government’s request to run a hospital in Helmand province that was formerly run by the Italian NGO, Emergency. (BBC, Wednesday, June 6) Up to 80 diarrhea patients are daily visiting a hospital in Laskargah, the provincial capital of Helmand province, due to contamination from recent floods. Provincial officials in southern Khost, Kandahar and eastern Nangarhar provinces have also confirmed hundreds of diarrhea cases. (IRIN, July 11)
NFIs - Shelter	UNHCR, Mercy Corps;
Security	At least 30 suspected Taliban militants were killed in two separate clashes in Helmand province on Thursday (July 12) and Friday (July 13). A British soldier on the NATO-led force was also killed in a clash in Helmand on Thursday. (AP, July 13) On Thursday (July 12), six Afghan policemen were killed yesterday when their vehicle was struck by a roadside bomb in Khost province. Afghan and US-led coalition forces killed at least 11 suspected Taliban insurgents in a clash in Uruzgan province. A suicide bomb attack near a NATO-led convoy in a crowded marketplace in Dehrawood district in Uruzgan killed at least 17 people, including 12 schoolchildren. Two Afghan civilians were killed and three others wounded in a roadside bomb blast in Waza Khwa district in Paktika province. (Reuters, AP, July 12)
Water & Sanitation	UNICEF
Comments	Floods in Kunar province on Monday (June 25) left seven dead and three missing. The floods also damaged houses, agricultural lands and infrastructure. (IFRC, June 29) Five people were killed in flash floods that hit Qarabagh and Farza districts in Kabul province on Monday (June 25). In Nirjab district, in Kapisa province, three people were killed and one left missing by floods. In Parwan province, five people were killed and eight others injured in Surkhparsa district. (IFRC, June 29) On Tuesday (June 26) floods hit Zormat, Ahmad Abad and Jaji Ayob districts in Paktya province, killing five people. In Ajrestan, Khogyani and Zankham districts in Ghazni province, two children were killed and several others injured. (IFRC, June 29) On Wednesday (June 27), floods in Kabul city left three children dead and injured two others. Three others are reported to be missing. (IFRC, June 29)

Southern Region IDP camps

Location	Zhare Dasht - South of Kandahar – 6 camps
Type	IDP Camp
Coordination	UNHCR
Camp Capacity	30,000; expandable to 60,000
Population	125,000 IDPs in south; 48,500 at Zhare Dasht
Movement IDP	An estimated
Food	WFP
Health	UNICEF, MSF;
NFIs - Shelter
Security	Taliban militants released four kidnapped Afghan health workers in Helmand province in exchange for the body of Taliban leader, Mullah Dadullah – one other hostage was beheaded. (Reuters, Thursday, June 7) At least two policemen were killed in a roadside bomb blast in Kandahar and another policeman was killed in a similar incident in Zabul on Thursday (June 7). (BBC, June 8) At least 30 Taliban fighters were killed when US-led helicopter gunships sank their boat on the Helmand River on Tuesday (June 5) (AP, June 5) As many as 60 suspected Taliban fighters were killed on Saturday (June 2) when their makeshift boat sank on the Helmand River. (AP, BBC, June 4) Suspected Taliban militants stormed into the house of a police commander in Ghazni, killing his wife, two sons and two nephews. (AP, June 1)
Water & Sanitation	UNICEF
Comments	Support for Spin Boldak camps terminated in 2004.

Western Region

Location	Western Region
Coordination	UNHCR; ICMC
Population	According to the IFRC, flash floods and avalanches in early March affected some 200 families in Herat city; 918 families in Gulran district; 35 families in Cheshte Sharif district; 150 families in Shindand district, 6,500 families in Badghis/Jawand and Murghab districts, and 20 families in Gour district. (IFRC, March 23) 12,000 IDPs, mostly in Maslakh camp
Movement IDPs	IOM
Food	IRC, CARITAS, UNICEF, World Vision, IOM, Action Contre la Faim; WFP; WFP said on Wednesday (July 11) that it has resumed some food deliveries along the southern ring road, allowing it to deliver food to the western region. Normal operations moving 1,500 to 1,200 tons of food each week are planned. In late May, WFP suspended some of its deliveries to parts of southern, eastern and western Afghanistan due to insecurity. (WFP, July 11)
Health	Some 3,800 people have been treated for gastrointestinal disorders due to contaminated water from floods over the past three weeks in Herat province. (IRIN, July 11)
Non-Food Items (NFIs) – Shelter	UNHCR, Iranian Red Crescent, UNICEF, IOM, Ockenden Int’l, MSF, IMC;
Security	Afghan officials said over the weekend (Saturday, July 7) that they were checking reports of heavy civilian casualties in airstrikes carried out by NATO and US-led coalition forces last Friday (July 6) in western Farah province and southeastern Kunar province. The airstrikes reportedly killed well over 100 civilians, including women and children, as well as thirty-three militants. (AP, July 11)
Water & Sanitation	UNICEF
Comments

Refugee Camps in Pakistan

Location

Long-term camps in Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA), NWFP, Baluchistan Province, and by capital, Islamabad; M