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Home , Ishkamish District, Marawara District

Issue 8: July 2009

Key Points • Security situation continues to deteriorate in advance of August elections • HAP Mid-Year Review launched in Kabul • Concern over humanitarian implications of use of schools and clinics as polling places • Conflict-induced displacements reported in south, southeast, west • Civilian casualties rose in first half of 2009

I. Humanitarian Overview Use of Schools and Clinics in Elections Access The humanitarian community continues to be concerned about implications for access to education and health care Security incidents targeting humanitarians in July of the planned use of schools and clinics as polling places included intimidations, robberies, and abductions. Armed in the presidential election on 20 August. UN agencies groups attacked convoys, destroyed a clinic, and planted a and NGOs in the regions (including Kandahar and Herat) roadside bomb that directly targeted an INGO vehicle. are working with the local offices of the Independent Three separate incidents targeted mine clearing actors, Election Commission (IEC) to identify alternative who usually enjoy protected status. UNDSS reports that locations. The protection cluster plans to undertake close the average number of security incidents per month in monitoring of schools during the elections to document 2009 is greater than the 2008 average, which is alarming any incidents. because the first half of the year is usually quieter. Projected Harvest for 2009 UNDSS also reports that the use of roadside bombs is increasing and is expected to continue to do so until the In response to strong wheat harvests, the Ministry of elections in order to keep people away from polling Agriculture, Irrigation, and Livestock (MAIL) is places. Movement is expected to be highly restricted purchasing wheat from surplus areas in order to replenish around the elections. Humanitarian organizations have government reserves and respond to areas with food indicated that though they are prioritizing their activities deficits. According to MAIL, half of ’s 34 during the election period to ensure that they can carry provinces are expected to produce a surplus totaling 25- out essential services to the extent possible. 50,000 metric tons, but the east, central, and southern regions will face a similarly-sized deficit. WFP is also in HAP Mid-Year Review Launch discussion with authorities about local procurement in The Kabul launch of the Mid-Year Review of the order to help prevent the disruption of market prices. Afghanistan Humanitarian Action Plan (HAP) was held II. Regional Updates on 21 July, and included a press conference with the Humanitarian Coordinator, the Minister of Agriculture, Southern region and the director of ACBAR, and a discussion with donors In , due to the launch of military and the humanitarian community. The event was an operation “Khanjar”, the Provincial Disaster Management opportunity to thank donors for their positive response to Committee (PDMC), WFP, and the NGO HAPA the HAP to date – it is 68 percent funded overall, most of conducted an assessment from 18-26 July that identified which is food – while highlighting critical gaps in 1,973 households in eight districts who have been underfunded sectors, such as health (4 percent funded) displaced, mainly to urban areas or to relatives’ villages, and protection (27 percent funded) and for NGOs (only 4 but no major population movements. WFP is providing a percent of contributions to date are for NGO projects). one-month food ration and UNHCR is providing NFIs The discussion at the event produced a number of through their implementing partners. Adequate relief recommendations for improving the HAP in 2010 so that stocks are in the region should further assistance be it serves as a framework for coordination of needed. The initial unverified estimates of displacement programming, reflects a humanitarian strategy, and reported by the government were much higher (5,000 includes projects that respond to needs specified in the families), highlighting the need for humanitarian actors to strategy. To accomplish this, both the cluster system and participate in PDMC meetings and joint needs assessment the flow of information from the field will need to be or verification exercises, to ensure the swift delivery of strengthened. aid based on need.

UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) OCHA Afghanistan: http://ochaonline.un.org/afghanistan Monthly Humanitarian Update Issue 8: July 2009

UNHCR reports that in July, 735 IDP families (5221 Working Group in Mazar is drafting a concept note for individuals) from Zari Dasht in Kandahar returned to donor support for these needs. their places of origin in the north (Faryab and Jawzjan) The rising water level of the Amu Darya river caused and are receiving reintegration assistance. localized flooding in Shortepah and Kaldar districts of Southeastern Region province and in Kamyab and Qarqin in Jawzjan province; however, large-scale flooding has not UNHCR has received reports of an undetermined number materialized. Flood contingency planning continues in the of Afghans and Pakistanis displaced from North region in order to formulate a long-term mitigation Waziristan in to Spera in , and is strategy. working to verify the reports. WFP also reports that they will provide food assistance to approximately 337 Northeastern Region families who have been displaced to by Assessments by various humanitarian actors in Shiwa the fighting in the Swat valley of Pakistan. valley in Arghanjkhwa district, Eastern Region showed alarming levels of malnutrition. WFP is planning blanket feeding for children under five and pregnant and Although there had been media reports of harassment and lactating women for an initial period of three months. detention of Afghan refugees living in Bajaur agency, UNICEF and NGO partners are planning additional Pakistan, an assessment by UNHCR and the Department nutrition and health interventions. Other districts of of Refugees and Reintegration (DoRR) of Marawara Badakhshan are also likely to be affected by food district of in mid-July revealed that insecurity after the winter, but access to affected areas is almost all of those displaced from Bajaur have since difficult. returned. Conflict-related displacements have also been reported in but have not yet been Localized flood damage was reported in Taluqan and confirmed. of , Tala-wa-Barfak district of , Warduj and Yamgan in Attacks on schools continued in July. Schools in Badakhshan, and Aliabad and Imam Sahib districts in district in and in Kunduz. Cool temperatures also led to snowfall in Kunar province were attacked with explosives. Election Wakhan and Ishkashem districts in Badakhshan which officials have reported that 304 schools in the region are may adversely affect wheat harvests. Road clearance, slated to be used as polling places. canal cleaning, and shelter assistance are still needed in OCHA is working with cluster leads to some flood-affected areas. Flood mitigation activities, revitalize the clusters and strengthen coordination in the including gabions for protection of river banks and region, and is planning workshops on contingency irrigation canals, are also ongoing. planning and humanitarian principles. The border with Tajikistan has been closed since mid- Northern Region May due to a political dispute, affecting access to livelihoods and WFP’s ability to transport food. UNHCR reports that 322 Baluch families registered as refugees in Kerman, Iran are being repatriated and are in Central Highlands Herat en route to Sozma Qala district, Sari Pul province. The Kuchi-Hazara situation in Behsud continues to be UNHCR is verifying the voluntary nature of the return stable. The Provincial Disaster Management Committee and working with partners to establish a transitional camp (PDMC) in Dai Kundi province has begun planning for and meet short- and medium-term needs in the area of winter assistance. return, which lacks the infrastructure to support their reintegration. Returnees are expected to begin to arrive in Western Region Sozma Qala in the second week of August. Conflict-related displacements have been reported by As follow up to the spring floods, a working group from government sources from Bale Murghab district in the shelter cluster (UNHCR, OCHA, and ACTED) is , from Ballah Buluk in Farah, and from reviewing the shelter guidelines developed by UNHCR in Dara-I-Takht and in Ghor. However, 2007 with ANDMA and MoRRD to come to agreement these reports have not yet been verified because neither on new modalities for both short- and long-term shelter humanitarian actors nor their government counterparts are needs. According to recent assessments, there are an able to access the affected areas. OCHA is continuing to estimated 2,424 households in the northern region in need monitor developments since a peace deal was brokered of emergency shelter before the winter. The Shelter

UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) 2 OCHA Afghanistan: http://ochaonline.un.org/afghanistan Monthly Humanitarian Update Issue 8: July 2009 between the Taliban forces and the government in geographic coverage of activities and in complementary northeast Badghis on 29 July. support for longer-term solutions to malnutrition. A civil-military coordination group has been established Preparations are ongoing for the tri-cluster rapid in the western region to promote dialogue between assessment (with health and WASH) on the effect of the military and humanitarian actors. The first meeting, on 30 conflict on civilians; the nutrition cluster has provided its July, was well attended by the various military inputs to UNICEF’s draft questionnaire. components as well as NGOs and UN agencies. Protection III. Cluster Updates The cluster reports that since January 2009, 49,881 Education individuals have returned to Afghanistan, mainly from Pakistan, and 223,321 individuals have been deported, In addition to advocacy for alternatives to the use of mainly from Iran. schools for voting, the education cluster is working with the Ministry of Education to refurbish and equip reopened The cluster has decided to address gender-based violence schools. (GBV) through the main cluster instead of a subcluster; a small working group will be formed to address training Emergency Shelter on GBV issues. The cluster is also working with OCHA The technical working group has developed a rapid to identify a mechanism for the cluster to feed shelter assessment tool to provide a rapid overview of information on civil-military distinction to the Civil- populations in immediate need of shelter after an Military Working Group. emergency. The tool is being reviewed by the cluster. Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene Emergency Telecommunications The Ministry of Rural Rehabilitation and Development A recent mission by the manufacturer of the VHF (MoRRD) reported to the cluster that 400,000 people in repeater system identified sources of interference to the eleven provinces are experiencing drinking water UN VHF network in Kabul. The cluster plans to test shortages due to the long-term effects of drought and/or performance at alternative sites. floods. The cluster is reviewing MoRRD’s proposal to identify possible support that can be provided. Food Security and Agriculture The WASH cluster has posted documents, including WFP reports that the price of wheat in June 2009 was 4.5 results of its capacity mapping exercise, on OCHA’s percent lower than in May 2009, 37 percent lower than website: http://ochaonline.un.org/afghanistan. June 2008, and 40 percent higher than June 2007. IV. Protection of Civilians Delivery of food assistance continues despite the difficult security environment. On 30 June, a WFP convoy was In July, 187 conflict-related civilian deaths were reported attacked in Kushk-e-Kuhna district of , and to UNAMA, of which 152 (81 percent) were attributed to was released following the intervention of the Afghan Armed Opposition Groups (AOGs) and 24 (13 percent) to police and the UN Protection Unit. Pro-Government Forces (PGFs). 11 casualties (6 percent) could not be attributed to either party. While AOG- Health attributed casualties have been relatively constant in The health cluster is continuing its advocacy for health recent months, July had the lowest number of PGF- services to operate unimpeded during the elections, and is attributed civilian deaths since early 2008. The South and also developing a contingency plan for potential mass Southeast regions remain by far the worst affected areas, casualty events during that period. with 64 civilians killed in the South (50 attributed to AOGs and 11 to PGFs), and 45 in the southeast, the vast There are fifteen confirmed cases of influenza A H1N1 in majority (40 deaths) attributed to AGEs. Afghanistan. WHO is providing information and technical support to MoPH, UN agencies, and health 103 deaths were caused by IED attacks by AOGs, which implementing partners and has strengthened the disease remain the greatest risk to civilians. On 9 July, 25 surveillance system. civilians (including 15 children) were killed by an IED near two schools in Mohammed Agha district in Logar Nutrition province in the central region. Assassinations, Community based nutrition programmes continue to intimidation, and abduction of civilians, especially those operate, but due to lack of funds there are gaps in linked to the government/IM forces or the elections, also

UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) 3 OCHA Afghanistan: http://ochaonline.un.org/afghanistan Monthly Humanitarian Update Issue 8: July 2009 continue. Complex attacks on government and security note will be revived to develop the bylaws and installations in Gardez and Jalalabad on 21 July and application procedures for the Fund, with the deadline of Khost on 25 July were well-planned and sophisticated. submission to the HCT for review by the end of AOGs also continue to broadcast messages discouraging September. the civilian population from voting. Humanitarian workers continue to be threatened, including by a rocket- VI. Coordination Update attack on a UN compound in Herat and a complex attack OCHA Field Presence against a mine action organization in the northeast. Additional OCHA staff has been deployed to field offices ISAF issued new Tactical Directives on 2 July designed in Kunduz and Jalalabad, and staff is being sent to to reduce civilian casualties by limiting the use of force, Kandahar on a rotating basis. This brings the number of including close air support, in residential areas and OCHA sub-offices to five: Herat, Mazar, Kunduz, revising guidelines for house searches. A “code of Jalalabad, and Kandahar, as well as a liaison officer in conduct” has also been issued for the Afghan Taliban Bamiyan. Priorities for field offices include humanitarian which limits the use of suicide attacks and sets forth profiling, contingency planning, and support to regional guidelines for the treatment of prisoners. Both sets of humanitarian coordination structures. guidance are aimed at gaining support of the Afghan population, though their impact has yet to be seen. VII. Upcoming Events UNAMA/OHCHR released two reports in July: the Mid- ƒ 19 August: World Humanitarian Day Year Bulletin on the Protection of Civilians in ƒ 20 August: Presidential and Provincial Council Afghanistan 2009 and a report on violence against Elections women. According to the Mid-Year Bulletin, there were 1013 conflict-related civilian deaths in the first half of 2009 (59 percent attributed to AOGs and 30.5 percent to PGFs), which is an increase of 24 percent over the same Contact Details period in 2008. Both reports are available at Wael Haj-Ibrahim, Head of OCHA Afghanistan http://unama.unmissions.org. [email protected], phone: +93- (0)798993290 V. Funding Deborah Murphy, Reporting Officer, OCHA Afghanistan [email protected], phone: +93- (0)795878708 2009 Humanitarian Action Plan Jacco Snoeijer, Desk Officer, OCHA NY Funding for the Humanitarian Action Plan (HAP) is [email protected], phone: +1-212-963-0909 largely unchanged since June, at 68.7 percent. Advocacy for donor support for underfunded sectors continues, Elisabeth Byrs, Spokesperson, OCHA Geneva including at the Mid-Year Review launch on 21 July. [email protected], phone: +41 22 917 26 53 Emergency Response Fund Stephanie Bunker, Spokesperson, OCHA NY [email protected], phone: +1-917-367-5126 The concept note for the Afghanistan Emergency Response Fund (ERF) has been approved by the Director of OCHA NY. The committee that drafted the concept

UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) 4 OCHA Afghanistan: http://ochaonline.un.org/afghanistan