Humanitarian Regional Team HRT – Southern Region Meeting Minutes – 30 April 2018
Location: UNAMA, conference room Data and Time: 30 April, 2018 – 1000hrs Attendance: OCHA (chair), IOM, HI, INSO, DACAAR, ANCC, UNODC, UNICEF, SHAO, ICRC, INTERSOS, CoAR, FAO, UNHCR, HRDA, APA, SCI, UNAMA, OHW, and MSF. Agenda: • Humanitarian updates - OCHA; • Security updates – INSO; • Presentation on INTERSOS programs in Kandahar (INTERSOS) • Cluster updates – Cluster Focal Points; • ERP review endorsement by HRT • AOB
Humanitarian updates - OCHA;
Although there was time to time security incidents such as clashes, IEDs but the humanitarian services were mostly challenged by interferences and staff harassments, road cuts, continues/ slow ANSF ground offensives and down telephone networks. This was resulting in delay in health services, limited access to population in dire need, disturbing population movement and livelihood and most importantly limiting access to ground information.
Uruzgan province remained insecure and volatile. Chora district is under NSAGs siege where nearly 600 HHs are trapped and are suffering with serious food shortage due to all ways blocked. There are more than 100 families diplaced inside Chinartu and Khasuruzgan districts while access remains a challenge due to IEDS and NSAGs presence. Tirinkot to Kandahar road was closed after the incident where NSAGS opened fire on civilian vehicles and killed all 05 and now the people in Tirinkot as a protest are demanding security and rehabilitation of road from central government. The telephone networks are cut-off and there the humanitarian partners are faced with commination and information sharing problems.
In Nad-i-Ali district of Hilmand NASGs coordinated attack resulted in killing of five civilians. There were multiple more attack recorded that had humanitarian implications. DoRR has reported about displacement of nearly 900 HHs to Nad-i-Ali. Three are some access issues that will be resolved soon to deploy the team. Nigh search operations raided on HF in Garamser. While the telephone networks remain down for the second month causing may communication issues.
In Kandahar health activities disrupted by NSAGs and ANSF due to staff harassment and abduction. There is also around 655 HHs reported displacement from neighboring provinces to Kanahar. The assessment is planned next week.
Zabul and Nimroz remained calm with no major incidents. While it is projected that the recent announced offensives by NSAGs may result more displacement and civilian causalities. As well as high likelihood for closure of Kandahar – Tirinkot highway and prepositioning of emergency stock was recommended.
Security updates – (INSO); INSO informed that AOGs were involved in puppy harvest and are now returned to normal activities. Nesh, Mianashin, Khakrez and Maywand remained the main corridor for NSAGs to move between Zabul, Hilmand and Kandhaar provinces. Maywand district remained active for NSAGs activities. ANSF has established random check posts in Kandahar city for searches, agencies to comply with their demands and behave politely. Hilmand remained busy with puppy harvest. The harvest has ended and may increase activities with announcement of Al- Khandaq operation. Similarly, ANSF may expand security belt and open roads for civilian movements and secure the areas for the upcoming elections. Telephone networks are down and AoGs warned not to reopen. Only Salam network is functioning. Uruzgan: season for puppy harvest. NSAGs reduced activities but ANSF increased operations in Tirinkot. Road remains closed but shops were re-opened to normal. Civilian harassment by ANSF at KDH-TK highway by ANSF check posts. Issue reported to central government. Incidents are increased in Zabul. Health staff that was abducted is released. There is an Increase in NSAGs activities on highway one Kabul- Kandahar. NSAGs operations announced, called on to pay special attention to civilian’s safety as previously there were large number civilian casualties. Since, there is significant increase in target of aid workers, therefore, INSO asked participants of the meeting to share thoughts on the reason and how can it be prevented. Through discussions it was agreed that HAG should look critically at each incident involving humanitarian agencies, factors, cause for the incident and so on to develop a guideline for working in current context. The partners should feed all type experienced information to OCHA/ HAG.
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Presentation on INTERSOS activates in Kandahar (INTERSOS) INTERSOS informed about ongoing programs in Kandahar. The first one was CHF funded multi sector project in four hard to reach (Arghistan, Shahwalikot, Khakrez and Takhtapul) district. The project aims to provide WASH, health, protection services to 46,426 direct beneficiaries. In another multi sector project (WASH, health and Protection) in Zherhi, Spin Boldak, Maywand and Dand districts covering 9157 population including nearly 10% IDPs. The organizaiotn also implements education in emergency project in Maywand and Spin Boldak districts for 2,460 male and female students. The project has established 41 community based schools in two districts. The programs have been faced with different access constraints such as IEDs, access negotiation and coordination with different parties and stakeholders. Please see attached presentations for detailed information.
Cluster updates – Cluster Focal Points;
Protection Cluster: Protection cluster informed about protecting cluster meeting was held on 18 April with key discussions on protection issues such as found in emergency phase protection monitoring found shortage of safe during water, children’s less access to schools, child labor, shortage of medicines in HFs and dropped in level of water in Nimroz and Uruzgan provinces. Similarly, the post emergency phase monitoring also found IDP families with lack of shelter, livelihood for income services as well as women access to National ID were among major protection issues. There were 15 cases referred to PSN and other programs for support. During the month under voluntarily repatriation program for documented returnees totally 120 families / 742 Ind. volunteer returned to country from Pakistan and Iran. There was no specific protection issue reported by returnees in country of asylum. Similarly, there were 147 returnee families returned through Milak border while 334 families while 31,640 individuals (including 338 under age children) were deported from Iran through Milak border during the month of April. Under the mine action programs nearly 39,000 IDPs while 31,000 returnees were educated about ERW and mine risks while nearly 450000 square meter land was cleared from land mines. GBV Custer after rollout had first meeting on 8th April. Moreover, the cluster has completed its mapping and conducted several meetings with different GBV partners in the region. The protection strategy was drafted and circulated for comments/ feedbacks but no feedbacks were given by either agency. UNHCR was requested to once again circulate the draft strategy and cluster members were asked to provide feedbacks/ comments (if any) as this is very important document and represents the protection situation in the region.
Health Cluster: ES/NFIs: WASH Cluster: UNICEF in contact with Relief Int. has carried multiple WASH activities for flood affected population in Chakhansur district of NImroz. That includes construction and rehabilitation of 113 wells, hygiene education/ promotion and awareness to 15,942 people. Moreover, the APC contract with RI covers construction of 04 wells and rehabilityat9in of 17 others in Chakhansur district. UNICEF has prepositioned 5000 WASH NFI kits in five provinces in SR to respond to emergency needs on timely manners.
UNICEF released 08 drums of chlorine to DoPH and PRRD directorates in Uruzgan to chlorinate water sources more vulnerable to contamination risk.
Nutrition cluster: FSAC Cluster: Informed about assessment carried for dry spell situation throughout the region, the survey found Nimroz as badly affected due to drought. Water level is gone down, Kajaki water is held and most of the agricultural crops are dried due to no water in canals and other water sources. Similarly, low precipitation has reduced agricultural products everywhere in the region and the live socks are under high risk. The assessment report to be shared with participants together with meeting minutes. The FAO had vaccination campaign for nearly 9000 cows and goats in the region. To control disease in animals FAO has
United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) Coordination Saves Lives | http://afg.humanitarianresponse.info/ HRT Meeting Minutes | 3 strengthened surveillance over Kochi communities and also to monitor disease in agriculture farms and gardens extension workers are recruited using university students in five districts in Kandahar.
ERP review endorsement by HRT OCHA informed participants about ERP review workshop held last week and was participated by partners active in emergency responses. The aim was to identify key humanitarian risk in the region, measure the existing preparedness and capacity and identify major gaps and needs in response. During the exercise, conflict displacement, Drought and mass returnee influx were discussed as major risks. The overall response capacity was found to be sufficient as there was projection of less displacement in remaining two months of the first half of 2018. However, the preparedness for affects arising from drought was found to be zero and none of the organization has particular data, preparedness plan and funding/ resources allocation. The return influx was also considered to be normal in remaining two months as there will be Ramadan and no major harassment has been reported from Pakistan. For details see attached ERP document . AOB. Next HRT Meeting will be on 25 June 2018
Action Points and recommendations: Initiated Action and Status Due Responsible
30 April 2018 Share any security/ access issue with HAG/ OCHA to record the incidents and Open All relevant reinforce the existing structure by having a clear guideline
Protection 30 April 2018 Recirculate Protaction strategy among protection cluster members for their May comments cluster lead
30 April 2018 May OCHA Drought spell assessment report to be share with all HRT meeting participations
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