December 14, 2007

 

 

Overview

 

Scores dead in fighting as Afghan and NATO-led forces retake Musa Qala

Scores of militants died in intense fighting in Afghanistan’s southern Helmand province this week, where Afghan and NATO-led forces eventually recaptured the Taliban-held town of Musa Qala on Monday (December 10). Hundreds of Taliban insurgents were reportedly killed during the ground and air siege of Musa Qala that began last Friday (December 7). Qari Yousuf Ahmadi, a Taliban spokesman, disputed the government’s casualty claims and described the group’s retreat from Musa Qala as a “tactical withdrawal” aimed at avoiding civilian and their own casualties. Afghan and NATO forces are now moving toward Sangeen, which is one of the two remaining districts in Helmand under Taliban control. There have been no reports of major civilian casualties or significant losses to Afghan and foreign forces. Due to persistent insecurity, casualty reports could not be independently verified.

Six civilians dead in landmine blast in southern Afghanistan

Six civilians were reportedly killed and another six wounded in a landmine explosion in southern Afghanistan yesterday (Thursday, December 13). According to reports, the incident took place on a road outside the provincial capital, Tirin Kot, in south-central Uruzgan province when a civilian vehicle ran over a freshly planted landmine. Afghan officials suspect the mine was laid by Taliban insurgents. A similar roadside blast targeted a NATO convoy Wednesday (December 12), killing two NATO soldiers in eastern Afghanistan. NATO did not disclose the location of the attack or the identity of the soldiers. Also Wednesday, Taliban militants beheaded a 60-year-old female and her grandson in Uruzgan's Dehrawud district on suspicion of spying for the Afghan government and NATO-led forces.

 

US Defense Secretary Gates in Scotland to hold talks with NATO allies on Afghanistan

US Defense Secretary Robert Gates is in Scotland to hold talks with NATO allies on a three- to five-year plan for an alliance-led force in Afghanistan. Gates is reportedly scheduled to hold two days of talks with his NATO counterparts amid growing tensions among the alliance members over persistent shortfalls in troops and equipment for a 40,000-strong force at a time of increasing violence in the country. Gates, who has been pushing for a strategic vision, is likely to lay out a three- to five-year master plan and set broader goals that among other things will include improving security, economic development and governance. He is likely to press member nations to follow through with their commitments for troops and equipment. Among the promised troops that have yet to materialize are three infantry battalions, some 3,000 police trainers and about 20 helicopters. Before departing for his trip, Gates testified before a US congressional committee expressing his frustration over NATO's failure to meet its commitments. Gates told the House Armed Services Committee on Tuesday (December 11) that the US was not prepared to continue filling a gap in the number of helicopters used by NATO forces beyond January 2008.

 

South Korea ends its Afghan troop mission

Today (Friday, December 14), South Korea ended its six-year military mission in Afghanistan with the arrival of nearly 200 troops at Seongnam airport in the capital, Seoul, from Afghanistan. The final group consisted of 50 medics from the Dongui unit and 150 engineers from the Dasan unit. The group was the last batch of 2,131 soldiers who served on rotations in Afghanistan since 2002. While stationed in Afghanistan, the group helped with rehabilitation efforts. Korea's troop withdrawal from Afghanistan was already planned, but it had to reconfirm the pledge to the Taliban in July to secure the release of 21 of its civilian nationals who were abducted by the militant group. Korea has said it will continue to contribute to Afghanistan's stabilization through 20-30 member civilian-led Provincial Reconstruction Teams comprising government officials, civilian medical staff and vocational training experts.

 

Avalanche kills at least 13 in Afghanistan's remote northeast

At least 13 people were killed and another three remain missing following an avalanche in Afghanistan's remote mountainous northeastern Badakhshan province on Tuesday (December 11). Citing local sources, Humayun Paikar, an official with the Afghanistan National Disaster Management Authority (ANDMA), told the UN Integrated Regional Information Network (IRIN) on Wednesday that since Tuesday, 13 bodies from the site of the avalanche in Baharak district had been recovered while three other people remain missing and were believed to be dead. He said authorities had rescued some 15 people Tuesday, of which four suffered injuries. Floods and avalanches are not uncommon in Afghanistan, especially in mountainous Badakhshan region, which borders China and Tajikistan.

 

 

 

Movement

 

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% 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

 

 

East Central Region

 

Eastern Region

 

 

Northeastern Region