August 29, 2008

Overview

Well over 200 dead in violence across Afghanistan over the past week

Afghan security forces began assuming control of security in the capital, Kabul, on Thursday (August 28) from the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF). Following a phased transfer of command, the security of Kabul will become Afghan-led, which is a significant move but will have little immediate impact on foreign forces that remain to patrol parts of the city. ISAF wants to play down the transfer of power for fear that Taliban insurgents will attempt to destabilize the process. The transfer is seen as a mostly symbolic move, displaying Afghanistan's confidence in its security forces. Meanwhile, Afghan and foreign forces continue to clash with Taliban insurgents across the country with more than 200 people, many of them civilians, killed in multiple airstrikes, bombings, suicide attacks and clashes during the week. The largest civilian casualties reportedly came from a US-led airstrike in western Herat province last Friday (August 22) in which more than 90 people were killed, leading to the dismissal of two Afghan commanders by President Hamid Karzai. Well over 140 people, mostly militants, have been killed since Saturday (August 23). Most of the clashes and attacks took place in the southern provinces of Kandahar, Helmand and Zabul, the eastern provinces of Paktia, Paktika and Nangarhar, and the central provinces of Uruzgan, Ghazni and Kapisa.

Abducted Japanese aid worker found dead in eastern Afghanistan

Afghan officials said on Wednesday (August 27) that a Japanese aid worker who was abducted by suspected Taliban militants on Tuesday (August 26), and originally thought to have been freed, has been killed by his captors. Gul Agha Sherzai, governor of eastern Nangarhar province, where Kazuya Ito, 31, was kidnapped with his Afghan driver, told Reuters, "He [Ito] has been killed. Police have recovered his body and are trying to bring it down from the top of the mountain." Reuters said that according to one of its reporters who saw the body after it was brought down from the mountain, Ito had been shot multiple times. Sherzai did not say who the abductors were or how Ito was killed. On Tuesday, Afghan Interior Ministry officials erroneously reported that Ito had been freed during a police operation. However, Mullah Zabihullah Mujahid, a purported Taliban spokesman, had claimed in an earlier report on Tuesday, that Ito had been killed in a clash between security forces and Taliban fighters. Ito's Afghan driver survived the abduction and was freed on Tuesday. Ito, an agriculture specialist, was working on an irrigation project with the Japan-based non-governmental organization Peshawar-kai, which provides medical support and runs clinics in Pakistan and Afghanistan.

Poppy cultivation in Afghanistan down by 20 percent in 2008: UN report

Poppy cultivation in Afghanistan in 2008 has declined by about 20 percent, according to the findings of a UN report released in Kabul on Tuesday. Speaking at the launch ceremony of the annual Afghanistan Opium Survey 2008, the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) noted that this year's poppy cultivation is down by 19 percent to 387,955 acres (157,000 hectares), compared to 476,913 acres (193,000 hectares) the previous year (2007). However, opium production will be down by only 6 percent due to a higher yield of 43.5 lbs/acre (48.8 kg/ha) compared with 93.69 lbs/acre (42.2 kg/ha) in 2007. According to survey findings, more than half (18) of the country's 34 provinces are now poppy free. The survey also noted that just seven provinces, mostly in the insurgency-prone southwest, now account for some 98 percent of opium output. Helmand, Kandahar, Uruzgan, Farah, Nimroz, Daykundi and Zabul are among the top opium producers with Helmand alone accounting for 66 percent of the country's total production. Director of UNODC Antonio Maria Costa said there is now a direct correlation between highly insecure areas and the areas with high opium cultivation. He added, "Since drugs are funding insurgency, and insurgency enables drug cultivation, insurgency and narcotics must be fought together." He attributed this year's decline in poppy cultivation to good local leadership in some provinces such as Nangarhar, Balkh and Badakhshan, and adverse weather conditions in the north and northwest of the country that led to large-scale crop failures. Costa urged international donors to reward opium-free provinces through greater aid as governors need to be able to deliver on their promises to their people. He cautioned that no follow-through could lead to a reversal of the trend in these provinces.

Pakistan agrees to extend Afghan repatriation deadline

The UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) said on Thursday (August 28) that Pakistan has agreed to extend the deadline for the repatriation of around 2 million Afghan refugees in the country. Following a meeting of a tripartite commission on Afghan refugees, UNHCR chief Antonio Guterres, who was on a three-day tour to Pakistan, said Pakistan's government had agreed to revise its Afghan repatriation strategy beyond 2009. In his remarks to a television channel, Guterres said the UN had agreed with the government of Pakistan in principle on a new strategy that would avoid a hard deadline and instead focus on a more general repatriation period. He said, "I think that three to five years is a good horizon to establish planning figures for our work and that is what we will now have to see in detail with the Pakistani government." He also applauded Pakistan’s government's efforts to host millions of Afghans for decades, saying, "Pakistan is UNHCR's biggest partner, hosting the world's largest refugee population for so many years," adding, "no other country has shown such generosity toward its neighbors, and it's important to mobilize more support amongst the international community for this great effort." He said the protracted Afghan situation is his top priority this year. Guterres said, "We are working on a comprehensive strategy that involves assisting the host communities in Pakistan, fully supporting voluntary repatriation and reintegration, while keeping in mind the challenges in Afghanistan."

Movement

2008: UNHCR is asking Pakistan to revise its Afghan refugee repatriation plan, as the current plan to repatriate some 2.4 million refugees by the end of next year (2009) is “unworkable” due to persistent insecurity and lack of economic opportunities.  (BBC, Apr-18).  UNHCR said this week that since March 1, when the repatriation campaign resumed from Pakistan, more than 200,000 Afghan refugees have returned to Afghanistan. (UNHCR, Aug-4))

2007: UNHCR temporarily suspends the Afghan voluntary repatriation campaign in Pakistan until March 2008 due to seasonal slowdown.  (IRIN, Nov-2).  Pakistan has reportedly extended the deadline to close Jalozai camp until March 2008.  (IRIN, Sep-4).  The UNHCR has asked Pakistan to temporarily suspend closure of Jalozai refugee camp in the North West Frontier Province (NWFP) that was originally scheduled to be closed on August 31.  UNHCR said due to the fast approaching Muslim holy month of Ramadan and winter season, conditions were not conducive for the return of some 100,000 camp residents.  UNHCR said any forceful return of these refugees could lead to secondary displacement. 

Pakistan is to close all Afghan refugee camps by December 2009 and to repatriate all refugees living in the country.  UNHCR says it has repatriated over 306,000 Afghan refugees from Pakistan so far this year under its voluntary repatriation campaign.  (UNHCR, Aug-10)

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 said voluntary repatriation of Afghan refugees in Pakistan that are without proof of registration (PoR) ended in April, 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 closed 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 percent of returnees from Pakistan were from cities and 30 percent from camps. Over a third returned to Kabul, another 10 percent went to other central provinces, and just over 20 percent returned to each of the north and east.  The Southern region received 6 percent and the Western region 4 percent. 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 percent were from urban areas; only 3 percent 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
IDP Movement
Food	There have been at least six attacks on World Food Program (WFP) food convoys in 2008, and WFP has temporarily suspended food delivery to Daikundi province.(IRIN, May-28)
Health	Czech Republic-led PRT to begin construction of a new 20-bed facility for the existing Comprehensive Health Clinic in Mohammad Agha in Lowgar province.  (NATO, Apr-24)
NFIs -Shelter	IOM, UNICEF, UNOCHA, & OXFAM
Water & Sanitation	UNICEF
Security	Four Afghan policemen were killed Tuesday (Aug-26) when their vehicle was struck by a roadside bomb in Ghazni province. (AP, The News, Aug-27)
Comments	IOM provided shelter materials to 21 vulnerable families in Bamyan province the week of July 20.  (IOM, Jul-25)

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	WFP has begun distributing wheat to some 650,000 beneficiaries affected by high food prices in Kabul and the surrounding areas.  (Reliefweb, Mar-6, 2008) IRC, Action Contra la Faim; WFP
Health	The country remains under the national public health emergency declared on January 8, with 30,000 health workers requested to not take leave for the duration of the emergency period. (IRIN, Feb-14) UNICEF, CARITAS, MSF, IFRC, IRC, ICRC
Non-Food Items - Shelter	UNHCR, ACTED, MSF, IRC, ICRC, IOM
Security	Taliban insurgents attacked two police vehicles in Logar province on Saturday (Aug-23) and took four police officers hostage. (Reuters, Aug-24) On Sunday (Aug-24), US-led coalition troops in Kapisa province killed six Taliban militants when they returned fire after being attacked while on patrol in Tagab valley. (AP, Reuters, Aug-25)
Water & Sanitation	An agreement has been signed between the UNHCR and the Ministry of Rural Rehabilitation and Development (MRRD) to provide safe drinking water for Afghan returnees from Pakistan and Iran, as well as IDPs.  (UNHCR, Sep. 24) ICRC
Comments	On Wednesday (July 9), Afghanistan and UNAMA launched a joint appeal for US$404 million to ensure food security for 450,000 households, give livestock and agricultural assistance to 300,000 farming families and protect about 550,000 women and children from malnutrition. The appeal is designed to cover these and other projects through July 2009 and follows a US$77 million joint food appeal that was fully met earlier this year. (IRIN, Jul-9) Malaysia and Australia will soon launch a joint initiative to train 30 “master teachers” who will train Afghan teachers in modern education methods. (GoAustralia, Jul-10)

Eastern Region

Location	Eastern Region
Coordination	UNHCR, International Islamic Relief Organization;
Population
IDP Movement	UNHCR
Food	IRC NATO-led ISAF PRT transported water pipes for a nearly seven-mile-long planned water supply project in Baghlan province.  (NATO, Aug-23)
Health	Provincial officials in Khost, Nangarhar and southern Kandahar provinces confirmed hundreds of diarrhea cases due to water contamination from floods. (IRIN, July-11)
Non-Food Items - Shelter	CWS, UNICEF
Security	Three civilians were killed and seven were wounded on Saturday (Aug-23) when their vehicle was struck by a roadside bomb in Khost province. (AP, Aug-24) On Sunday (Aug-24), a NATO-chartered helicopter crashed in Kunar province near the Pakistan border, killing one person and wounding three. NATO ruled out hostile action as the cause, but the Taliban claimed to have shot down the helicopter. (Reuters, Aug-24) On Tuesday (Aug-26), a Japanese aid worker and his Afghan driver were abducted in Nangarhar province. The aid worker, who worked for Japan-based NGO Peshawar-kai, was killed, while the driver was freed later Tuesday. (CNN, Reuters, Aug-27) About 30 Taliban insurgents were killed in Paktika province on Tuesday when foreign forces called in airstrikes after they were ambushed in Sarobi district near the Pakistan border. Six Afghan policemen were wounded in the clash. (Reuters, AP, Aug-27) In Paktika’s Bermel (Barmal) district, militants fired on coalition troops who were conducting a security sweep on Thursday (Aug-28) and the troops returned fire, killing about a dozen militants. (AP, Aug-28)
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
Water & Sanitation
Comments	The MoPH has asked the NATO-led Provincial Reconstruction Team in Badakhshan for air support to enable medical teams to service otherwise inaccessible areas. (IRIN, Feb-14)

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	A severe drought has been reported across northern Afghanistan, with the situation being worst in Faryab, Jowjan, Samangan, Saribul and Badghis provinces. Higher-than-normal summer temperatures and a lack of crucial rainfall have left northern rivers at record low water levels, hindering agricultural production and potable water sources. With the added issue of rising global food prices, farming families are unable to purchase basic food items. The governor of Faryab says the province is on the verge of a humanitarian crisis without immediate food aid. Badghis officials say almost all livestock and crops have been lost and more than 200 families are fleeing each day. There are no accurate figures for casualties or losses. Part of a US$404 million joint UN-Afghan appeal announced on July 9 will be used to feed drought-affected populations. (Institute for War and Peace Reporting, Jul-10)
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	A German soldier with ISAF was killed and three others were wounded on Wednesday (Aug-27) in a roadside bomb attack in Kunduz province. (AP, The News, Aug-27) On Thursday (Aug-28) in Kunduz, Afghan and German ISAF troops killed two children and a woman when they opened fire on cars that failed to stop at a security checkpoint. Two people were wounded, as well. (The News, Aug-29)
Water & Sanitation	UNICEF, ICRC, DACAAR
Comments	ISAF PRT helps flood-affected families in Khamyab and Qarqin districts in Jowzjan province at the request of provincial authorities.  (Frontier Post, Aug-12)

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, Mar-23).
Movement of IDPs	Intense military operations against Afghan insurgents in southern Helmand province, especially in Musa Qala district, have caused hundreds of families to flee their homes to neighboring districts and the provincial capital, Lashkargah. (IRIN, Dec-6)
Food	UNICEF; Mercy Corps; CARITAS; WFP
Health	A UNICEF-led Polio vaccination campaign was suspended in Musa Qala due to military operations.  The campaign was also suspended in parts of five other districts. (ReliefWeb, Dec-20)
NFIs - Shelter	UNHCR, Mercy Corps The Netherlands will provide US$713,000 (470,000 euros) for repair of war-damaged homes for 400 families in Deh Rawood and 150 families in Tirin Kot.  (Reliefweb, Feb-28)
Security	On Saturday (Aug-23), a roadside bomb killed 10 civilians in Shah Wali Kot district in Kandahar province. (Reuters, Aug-23) A Danish soldier from the NATO-led ISAF was killed Monday (Aug-25) after his tank drove over an improvised explosive device in Helmand province. (The News, Reuters, Aug-25) Up to 18 Taliban insurgents were killed in Helmand’s Nad Ali district on Tuesday (Aug-26) when they attacked a police checkpoint. Officials said Afghan security forces suffered no casualties in the attack. (AP, Reuters, Aug-27) In Helmand’s Sangin district, up to 12 armed militants were killed in a coalition airstrike on Wednesday (Aug-27). (AP, Aug-27) In Helmand’s provincial capital, Lashkar Gah, three civilians were wounded in a suicide bomb attack aimed at a NATO-led British military patrol on Wednesday. (AP, Aug-27) In Zabul province, 18 insurgents were killed or wounded in Arghandab district on Wednesday. (BBC, Reuters, AP, Aug-28) In Helmand’s Girishk district, Afghan soldiers killed 10 insurgents, including drug traffickers, during a security operation on Wednesday. (BBC, Reuters, AP, Aug-28) Afghan soldiers battled Taliban insurgents in Helmand’s Nad Ali district on Thursday (Aug-28). The Defense Ministry reported heavy casualties, but did not give an exact number. US-led coalition forces, however, said Afghan and coalition forces had killed more than 100 insurgents in Helmand from Monday through Thursday. (BBC, Reuters, AP, Aug-28) On Thursday, coalition troops used small-arms fire, mortars and airstrikes to kill more than a dozen militants after they attacked a coalition base in Uruzgan province’s Shaheed Hasas district. Two Afghan guards were killed in the attack. (AP, Aug-29)
Water & Sanitation	UNICEF
Comments	The Afghan government has approved 19 reconstruction projects valued at US$1.4 million (72 million AFA) for Kandahar province.  Projects are to be completed within nine months and are expected to benefit some 29,000 households in the region. (ReliefWeb, Mar-14).

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
Food	WFP
Health	UNICEF, MSF
NFIs – Shelter
Security
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, Mar-23)  12,000 IDPs, mostly in Maslakh camp
Movement IDPs	IOM
Food	IRC, CARITAS, UNICEF, World Vision, IOM, Action Contre la Faim; WFP Provincial officials are seeking 1,733 tons of food aid to feed some 100,000 most vulnerable people affected by rising food prices in Ghor province. (IRIN, May-19)
Health	At least 17 people have been reportedly killed in Gulran district in western Herat province by “Charmak” disease after consuming contaminated flour.  There have so far been 200 confirmed cases of the disease known as hepatic veno-occlusive disease (VOD), also known as 'camel belly.'  (IRIN, Reliefweb, May-15) Afghan National Security Forces (ANSF), with the help of US-led coalition forces, carried out a Medical Civic Action Program (MEDCAP) in Shewan, Farah province on August 30 and treated more than 811 people, including 576 women and children.  (USG, Sep-2)
Non-Food Items (NFIs) – Shelter	Islamic Development Bank (IDB) distributed some 12,500 blankets and 150 tents to some 2,500 families in Herat.  (FP, Apr-22)
Security	In Badghis province, a bomb planted on a motorcycle killed three civilians and wounded six others on Saturday (Aug-23). The Taliban claimed responsibility for the bombing. (Reuters, Aug-24) The Interior Ministry reported that 76 Afghan civilians were killed Friday (Aug-22) in a US-led coalition airstrike in Shindand district of Herat province. Other accounts of the attack gave different casualty figures. The coalition said it had carried out an operation in the area but that only 30 Taliban insurgents were killed. The Afghan Defense Ministry said 25 rebels and five civilians were killed. The Interior Ministry will investigate the incident. (AP, Reuters, AFP, Aug-22)
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; Mohamed Kheil 1 & 2 camps (85 km southwest of Quetta)
Type	Refugee Camps
Coordination	Afghanistan, Pakistan and UNHCR on August 2 extended the tripartite agreement governing the voluntary repatriation of registered Afghans from Pakistan through December 2009. The agreement provides a legal and operational framework for the process. To date, more than 3 million Afghans have returned from Pakistan under the voluntary repatriation program since 2002. This year, more than 300,000 Afghans have returned. (UNHCR, GOP, Aug-2) The Kacha Garhi Afghan refugee camp was officially closed on July 26, 2007.  Kacha Garhi, set up in 1980 and located in Hayatabad in NWFP, had 64,000 registered Afghans.  The closure followed two years of negotiations, as many refugees initially did not want to repatriate.  By the camp's closure, some 37,000 refugees had been repatriated by the UNHCR.  Most refugees were originally from Afghanistan's eastern and central provinces of Nangarhar, Laghman, Kabul, and Logar. (UNHCR, July-27)
Camp Capacity	About one million mostly long term Afghans in 74 camps—down from about 200 camps.
Population	2.05 million registered Afghans remaining in Pakistan; 63 camps in NWFP, 12 in Baluchistan; and one million elsewhere; Many occupants are long-term residents or were born in Pakistan; (UNHCR, Aug-2) Jungle Pir Alizai (Balochistan): 36,000, originally scheduled to close June 15. Kacha Gari (NWFP): original population of 64,811, officially closed July 26 – 37,000 repatriated. (UNHCR, July-27) Jalozai (NWFP): 109,934, originally scheduled to close August 31.  UNHCR on August 22 requested Pakistan to temporarily suspend the camp’s closure due to insufficient time for some 100,000 people to move and settle into new places in the face of the fast approaching Ramadan and winter season. (UNHCR, Aug-22)  The deadline was extended to April 15 due to the impending winter. According to IRIN, at least 352 have left Jalozai so far in March.  (IRIN, Mar-20) Girdi Jungle (Balochistan): 17,844, scheduled to close August 31. (IRIN, June-14)
Refugee Movement
Food	WFP, CRS, ARC
Health	UNICEF, MSF
Non-Food Items (NFIs) - Shelter	CRS
Security
Water & Sanitation	IFRC, MDM
Comments