DOCSLIB.ORG

In 2019, UNHCR Focused on Securing Durable Solutions Through Voluntary

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
In 2019, UNHCR Focused on Securing Durable Solutions Through Voluntary REGIONAL SUMMARIES I ASIA AND THE PACIFIC REGIONAL SUMMARIES I ASIA AND THE PACIFIC REGIONAL SUMMARIES Asia and the Pacific In 2019, UNHCR focused on securing durable solutions through “ voluntary return, resettlement and complementary pathways. Hand-in-hand with these were efforts to expand support to refugees, IDPs, stateless persons and communities generously hosting them. However, greater international burden- and responsibility-sharing, in the spirit of the Global Compact on Refugees, is needed to provide vital assistance to refugees and their host communities, and to support governments in further advancing inclusive policies. ” —Indrika Ratwatte, Director, Regional Bureau for Asia and the Pacific A Rohingya refugee watches over his great-granddaughter at Kutupalong refugee settlement. While fleeing from violence at home in Myanmar, his wife and two sons were murdered, and he arrived with just one great-granddaughter. © UNHCR/Kamrul Hasan 110 UNHCR GLOBAL REPORT 2019 UNHCR GLOBAL REPORT 2019 111 REGIONAL SUMMARIES I ASIA AND THE PACIFIC REGIONAL SUMMARIES I ASIA AND THE PACIFIC MAJOR SITUATIONS OR OPERATIONS IN In 2019, progress in resolving the root causes of displacement stalled, meaning durable solutions remained out of reach for most people of concern to UNHCR in the region. However, in collaboration with governments and other ASIA AND THE PACIFIC IN 2019 partners, UNHCR made continued progress in securing the inclusion of the displaced in national systems. MYANMAR KEY RESULTS AND ACHIEVEMENTS Situation L2 Level of emergency The majority of refugees and stateless persons from Myanmar are Rohingya, 15,000 individuals in Myanmar for whom durable solutions and access to basic rights such as freedom of benefited from 16 community CRRF country Refugee camp movement, livelihoods and education remained elusive, whether at home in infrastructure projects and Myanmar or in exile abroad. 4 projects targeting persons at IDP initiative IDP camp In Bangladesh, UNHCR and the Government jointly completed the registration heightened risk of some 855,000 Rohingya refugees, including 784,000 in 2019, providing them 784,387 refugees were registered Rohingya refugee with identity documents—many for the first time in their lives—and establishing outflow a basis for their right to return to Myanmar. UNHCR placed considerable focus on strengthening the in Bangladesh protection environment through community-based mechanisms, including a network of community outreach members who identified and referred people at heightened risk within the refugee population 6,980 refugees at heightened risk to specialized services, disseminating as well lifesaving information. In total, 3,965 refugees were in Bangladesh benefited from referred to service providers and direct support was provided by community outreach members to UNHCR’s network of community AFGHANISTAN 6,980 people, while more than 14,000 emergency preparedness awareness sessions were conducted outreach members ISLAMIC REPUBLIC across the camps. OF IRAN UNHCR, IOM and the UN Resident Coordinator led the coordination and implementation of the PAKISTAN Kachin State 2019 Joint Response Plan for the Rohingya humanitarian crisis with 132 partners, focusing on delivering protection, providing lifesaving assistance and fostering social cohesion. MYANMAR BANGLADESH In Myanmar itself, UNHCR advocated the rights and status of some 600,000 Rohingya who remain in Rakhine State, 140,000 of whom are internally L2 displaced, as well as the protection of over 170,000 other IDPs throughout the country. UNHCR also worked with UNDP to conduct needs assessments Shan State BANGLADESH and implement quick impact projects to improve conditions in the northern townships of Rakhine State, home to most Rohingya. Throughout Rakhine (North) State, fighting between the Myanmar armed forces and the Arakan Army, an ethnic Rakhine armed group, led to a 25% increase in the total number of IDPs in Myanmar. AFGHANISTAN Cox's Bazar MYANMAR 1.42 million REGISTERED AFGHAN REFUGEES Rakhine State IN PAKISTAN 951,100 REGISTERED AFGHAN REFUGEES MYANMAR IN THE ISLAMIC REPUBLIC OF IRAN 1.12 million 2.6 million REFUGEES AND ASYLUMSEEKERS AFGHANISTAN INTERNALLY DISPLACED FROM MYANMAR Entering the fifth decade of displacement, Afghans are the second largest 8,079 Afghan refugee returnees 400,000 855,000 refugee population globally, while Pakistan remains the world’s second largest assisted with voluntary repatriation NEW CONFLICTINDUCED IDPS REFUGEES AND ASYLUMSEEKERS refugee-hosting country (with 69% of Afghan refugees residing in urban areas), cash grants IN AFGHANISTAN IN BANGLADESH and the Islamic Republic of Iran ranks sixth (with 97% of Afghan refugees 8,079 1 312,000 residing in urban areas). In Pakistan, 22 refugee-aected AFGHAN REFUGEE RETURNEES INTERNALLY DISPLACED While voluntary repatriation to Afghanistan reached a new low due to and hosting areas programme 48% 1.57 million uncertainty over the political transition and the deteriorating security situation, projects were implemented, OF AFGHAN REFUGEES IN STATELESS PERSONS 600,000 IN onward movements to Europe increased. 8,079 Afghan refugee returnees were assisted with voluntary benefitting some 280,000 people PAKISTAN ARE CHILDREN MYANMAR AND 970,000 REFUGEES repatriation cash grants in 2019, including 6,062 from Pakistan and 1,939 from the Islamic Republic of AND ASYLUMSEEKERS Iran. This was nearly half the number of repatriations recorded and assisted in 2018. 480,000 Afghan and Iraqi children 78% The Solutions Strategy for Afghan Refugees (SSAR) remained the overarching policy and operational were enrolled in primary and OF REFUGEES IN BANGLADESH ARE framework for strengthening support to host countries while creating the conditions for sustainable secondary schools in the Islamic WOMEN OR CHILDREN return and reintegration. Entering its eighth year, the SSAR was augmented by a support platform under Republic of Iran, including the Global Compact on Refugees, focused on resilience and youth empowerment through education, 130,000 undocumented Afghan health and skills, and which prioritized investments in humanitarian-development-peace-related children activities in the priority areas of return and reintegration (PARRs) in Afghanistan. 500,000 people 92,000 vulnerable refugees benefited from UNHCR's investment in education, health care, WASH, and other community benefited from the Islamic 1 Figure represents Afghans whose return was facilitated by UNHCR and who were processed at encashment centers in Afghanistan. infrastructure projects in the PARRs, jointly approved by UNHCR and the Government of Afghanistan. Republic of Iran’s Universal Public With more than 400,000 new conflict-induced IDPs recorded in 2019 in Afghanistan, UNHCR continued Health Insurance programme to co-lead the Protection Cluster and Shelter and NFI Cluster, working towards strengthening the through UNHCR’s contribution humanitarian-development-peace nexus and the long-term integration of IDPs. With 72% of displaced PEOPLE OF CONCERN AGE AND GENDER BREAKDOWN to the scheme (including IN ASIA AND THE PACIFIC REFUGEES AND ASYLUM-SEEKERS households reporting shelter as their main priority after food, UNHCR rolled out a pilot cash-for-shelter 1,182 refugees with specific project, aimed at assisting vulnerable households to construct permanent shelter by providing medication conditions) conditional cash (around $3,300 per household). 44% REFUGEES 4.2 MILLION 25% 1% RETURNEES (Refugees and IDPs) 137,000 50% 33% 11% 9.5 million IDPs 3.2 MILLION of the global population people of concern in Asia and the Pacific of concern 2% ASYLUMSEEKERS 15% 212,000 60+ 18-59 12% STATELESS PERSONS 1.2 MILLION 12-17 UNDER 18 (2.3 MILLION IN TOTAL*) 7% OTHERS OF CONCERN 5-11 632,000 5% 0-4 47% * Chart reflects UNHCR’s statistical reporting methodology that reports only one legal status for each person of concern. However the total statelessness figure includes 1,113,315 stateless persons of Rohingya ethnicity who are also counted as refugees, asylum-seekers or others of concern in Bangladesh, India, Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand or as IDPs in Myanmar. 112 UNHCR GLOBAL REPORT 2019 UNHCR GLOBAL REPORT 2019 113 REGIONAL SUMMARIES I ASIA AND THE PACIFIC REGIONAL SUMMARIES I ASIA AND THE PACIFIC ACHIEVEMENTS AND KEY RESULTS IN ASIA AND THE PACIFIC PERSONS ASSISTED WITH CONFIRMATION OF NATIONALITY facilitating the prioritization of lifesaving 862,923 KEY ACHIEVEMENTS people of concern registered AND IMPACT assistance. A key success has been UNHCR's on an individual basis distribution of liquefied petroleum gas 45,000 (LPG) and improved cooking stoves. Over 40,602 Registration Safeguarding access to protection 37,500 107,000 refugee households in the camps ndividuals and responding with lifesaving I 33,274 now receive LPG supplies and refills, 30,000 assistance as well as 10,700 host community families. 22,500 21,966 20,644 20,644 18,540 persons with undetermined At the Global Refugee Forum, UNHCR, with A study has found that LPG distribution has 15,000 nationality assisted with the Islamic Republics of Afghanistan, Iran resulted in an 80% reduction of demand confirmation of nationality Statelessness and Pakistan, launched a Support Platform for firewood by Rohingya households in 7,500 for the Solutions Strategy for Afghan the camps, positively benefitting sustainable 0 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 Refugees (SSAR). The Platform strengthens tree growth and reforestation, and $15.5 million international responsibility-sharing through reducing other
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Post 9/11 Trends: Bush to Obama to Trump (Multilateralism and Peace Initiatives in Afghanistan)
    Citation: Khokhar, W., Jamil, T., & Hussain, Q. A. (2021). Post 9/11 Trends: Bush to Obama to Trump (Multilateralism and Peace Initiatives in Afghanistan). Global Political Review, VI(I), 37-49. https://doi.org/10.31703/gpr.2021(VI-I).04 Waseem Khokhar * | Tahir Jamil † | Qamar Abid Hussain ‡ Post 9/11 Trends: Bush to Obama to Trump (Multilateralism and Peace Initiatives in Afghanistan) Vol. VI, No. I (Winter 2021) URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.31703/gpr.2021(VI-I).04 Pages: 37 – 49 p- ISSN: 2521-2982 e- ISSN: 2707-4587 p- ISSN: 2521-2982 DOI: 10.31703/gpr.2021(VI-I).04 Headings Abstract The overall U.S. strategy in Afghanistan lacks clarity and consistently coordinated efforts/policies to bring peace in the • Theme of Study war-torn country. From the Bush to Obama and Trump administrations, • Introduction the situation remains complex, and ambiguity prevails on the future of • Multilateral Approach Afghanistan and achievements; therefore, the U.S. needs to think outside • Obama: Afpak and Counter- the box to emerge from this turbulent 19 years-long war. No single country can bring peace and security in Afghanistan due to its complex and diverse Terrorism Strategy nature of issues, its history of conflicts and unsettled domestic issues, which • Obama’s Afghanistan Strategy divided the nation into different tribes and factions. The continuity in using • Withdrawal of U.S. Forces soft and smart powers, a multilateral approach, along with Principal-Agent • Peace in Intra-Afghan Dialogue theory, would help to further pave the way forward for bringing peace in • Helping Central Govt Afghanistan.
    [Show full text]
  • Taliban, Terrorism and War on Terror: Assessing US Involvement in Afghanistan Introduction 1.1
    Article Kardan Journal of Social Taliban, Terrorism and War on Sciences and Humanities Terror: Assessing US 3 (2) 47–67 Involvement in Afghanistan ©2020 Kardan University Kardan Publications Kabul, Afghanistan https://kardan.edu.af/Research/ Sidiqullah Sahel CurrentIssue.aspx?j=KJSSH Abstract It has been 19 years of September 11 tragedy, in response United States waged a war against perpetrators. The country with some NATO member countries took the lead in war against terror, and started Operation enduring freedom on 7th October 2001, to topple the Taliban regime, and Eliminate terrorist organizations from its roots. For the purpose to be achieved, USA convened a conference in Bonn Germany, comprising All Jihadist groups, except Taliban and Hezbe Islami Hekmatyar, for formation of new administration and sharing power. Hamid Karzai was appointed as head of new interim administration in the conference on 5th December 2001, and gradually ISAF under NATO deployed around the country to suppress Taliban and Al-Qaeda forces. After 20 years of war in Afghanistan, USA could defeat neither international terrorism, nor Taliban militarily, but instead it exacerbated the security conditions of the country, and led to creation of a greater number of terrorist organizations. USA finally decided to withdraw all its forces from Afghanistan through an agreement signed between USA and Taliban on 29th February 2020. now the Question arises whether US has achieved what they wanted to? whether the country succeeded in state- building in Afghanistan? The paper finds out, that absence of unanimity and perfect policy regarding Taliban amongst Afghan statesmen and US is one of momentous reasons for prolonging Afghan war, and After crumbling the regime of Taliban, USA did not have any specific policy for state-building or rehabilitation in Afghanistan, instead their intention at that time was that of retaliation and counter-terrorism.
    [Show full text]
  • Afghanistan-Background Note-V1.0(December 2020)
    Country Background Note: Afghanistan Version 1.0 December 2020 Preface Purpose This note provides a summary of and links to country of origin information (COI) for use by Home Office decision makers handling particular types of protection and human rights claims. It is not intended to be an exhaustive survey of a particular subject or theme. It is split into two main sections: (1) general background to the country concerned, including demography and geography; and (2) issues which may be relevant to protection claims. Unlike country policy and information notes, it does not contain an assessment of risk, availability of protection or reasonableness of internal relocation. Decision makers must, however, still consider all claims on an individual basis, taking into account each case’s specific facts. Country of origin information The country information in this note has been carefully selected in accordance with the general principles of COI research as set out in the Common EU [European Union] Guidelines for Processing Country of Origin Information (COI), dated April 2008, and the Austrian Centre for Country of Origin and Asylum Research and Documentation’s (ACCORD), Researching Country Origin Information – Training Manual, 2013. Namely, taking into account the COI’s relevance, reliability, accuracy, balance, currency, transparency and traceability. The structure and content of the country information section follows a terms of reference which sets out the general and specific topics relevant to this note. All information included in the note was published or made publicly available on or before the ‘cut-off’ date in the country information section. Any event taking place or report/article published after this date is not included.
    [Show full text]
  • AFGHANISTAN SITUATION Tradesmen Work to Build a House in Tarakhil Daag, a Suburb of Kabul City, Afghanistan
    AFGHANISTAN SITUATION Tradesmen work to build a house in Tarakhil Daag, a suburb of Kabul city, Afghanistan. While the local community, returnees and IDPs live adjacently, the groups generally have limited interaction. UNHCR’s community-based protection project aims, in part, to promote peaceful coexistence between different segments of the community, particularly as more returnees and IDPs are expected to settle here in the coming years. With the crisis in Afghanistan entering its fifth decade, Afghans are the second largest refugee population under UNHCR’s mandate globally. Pakistan remains the world’s second largest UNHCR’s overall requirements for the Afghanistan refugee-hosting country for refugees under situation in 2020 stand at $273.5 million. As of UNHCR’s mandate, and the Islamic Republic of Iran 25 August 2020, $86.6 million have been ranks sixth. The Solutions Strategy for Afghan received. Flexible funds received by UNHCR have Refugees (SSAR) provides the overarching policy allowed the organization to allocate an additional and operational framework for strengthening $25.4 million to the Afghanistan situation, raising support to host countries while creating the the current funding level to 41%. These low conditions for sustainable return and reintegration; funding levels have forced UNHCR’s operations in augmented by a support platform under the Global Afghanistan and in neighbouring countries to cut Compact on Refugees launched in 2019 and or reduce programmes across a range of sectors, AFGHANISTAN focused on resilience and youth empowerment including protection monitoring, health services, through education, health and skills. In addition, school construction and vocational skills training, with more than 400,000 new conflict-induced IDPs with further reductions expected in the second SITUATION recorded in 2019 in Afghanistan, UNHCR continued half of 2020 should more funding not be received.
    [Show full text]
  • Afghanistan: Die Aktuelle Sicherheitslage
    Afghanistan: Die aktuelle Sicherheitslage Update der SFH-Länderanalyse Corinne Troxler Bern, 30. September 2020 Angaben zum Autor/zur Autorin: Corinne Troxler hat an der Universität Zürich Geschichte, Politikwissenschaft und Völkerrecht studiert. Sie verfügt über langjährige Erfahrung im Asylbereich, als Expertin der SFH. Sie reiste mehrmals nach Afghanistan und nahm unter anderem an drei Fact Finding Missions teil. In eigenständiger Feldforschung ergänzte sie die Eindrücke und setzte sich unter ande- rem intensiv mit der Lage der Frauen auseinander. Daneben lernte sie an den Universitäten Zürich und Bern sowie in Afghanistan und Iran Persisch und Dari. Im Rahmen des Certificate of Advanced Studies in Civilian Peacebuilding 2012/13 hat sich die Autorin erneut intensiv mit Afghanistan in den Bereichen Staatenbildung / fragile Staaten, Vergangenheitsbewälti- gung, Mediation und Gender auseinandergesetzt. 2013 bis 2020 führte sie mehrere Informa- tions- und Weiterbildungsveranstaltungen zu Afghanistan durch und war für «Schweizer Ju- gend forscht» im Rahmen des Nationalen Wettbewerbs 2017 als Afghanistan -Expertin tätig. Impressum Herausgeberin Schweizerische Flüchtlingshilfe SFH Postfach, 3001 Bern Tel. 031 370 75 75 Fax 031 370 75 00 E-Mail: [email protected] Internet: www.fluechtlingshilfe.ch Spendenkonto: PC 30-1085-7 Sprachversionen deutsch COPYRIGHT © 2020 Schweizerische Flüchtlingshilfe SFH, Bern Kopieren und Abdruck unter Quellenangabe erlaubt. Inhaltsverzeichnis 1 Einleitung .............................................................................................................4
    [Show full text]
  • Executive Summary 2018-2019
    Safety and Risk Mitigation Organization (SRMO) State of Human Rights Defenders in Afghanistan Two-Year Annual Report 2018-2019 March 2020 Executive Summary The security situation of human rights defenders in Afghanistan and the space to freely carry out their human rights work continued to deteriorate during the last two years, 2018 and 2019. During the period 2018 and 2019, the intensified armed conflict, resulting in a record high number of civilian casualties, political instability following violence marred parliamentary and presidential elections, and peace negotiations between the USA and Taliban that sidelining women and civil society, have affected adversely the civic space in Afghanistan. In this intimidating context, civil society and human rights defenders faced restrictions on their rights to freedom of expression, associations and peaceful assembly, as well as political participation. Although during the reporting period, the Taliban actively engaged with the US to negotiate a peace agreement, the group did not seize their activities harming and targeting civilians, including targeting individuals for their work on promoting and protecting human rights. The armed group continued to threaten, intimidate and deliberately attack Afghan voters, human rights defenders and aid workers, including medical personnel and teachers, as well as journalists and media workers. In addition, human rights defenders (HRDs), including women human rights defenders (WHRDs), faced threats from local government officials, warlords and local commanders. Women human rights defenders also experienced threats from their own families or family members of the perpetrators or victims, as their work is deemed to be challenging for social norms and values. This report produced by SRMO examines the patterns of violations against the human rights defenders community in Afghanistan in the period between 2018 and 2019.
    [Show full text]
  • Women's Rights in Afghanistan
    © Vivekananda International Foundation 2019 Published in September 2019 by Vivekananda International Foundation 3, San Martin Marg | Chanakyapuri | New Delhi - 110021 Tel: 011-24121764 | Fax: 011-66173415 E-mail: [email protected] Website: www.vifindia.org Follow us on Twitter | @vifindia | Facebook | /vifindia All Rights Reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form, or by any means electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise without the prior permission of the publisher. About the Author Dr Yatharth Kachiar is a Research Associate at the Vivekananda International Foundation with a focus on the Afghanistan-Pakistan region. She has done Masters in International Relations from the School of International Studies, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, India. She also has a specialization in the West Asian region and has completed her MPhil and Ph.D. from the Center for West Asian Studies, JNU. For her M.Phil, she worked on “Democratization progress in Turkey under JDP, 2002-2013”. Her doctoral thesis focused on “Soft power in Turkish foreign policy in West Asia and North Africa, 2002-2013.” Her area of interest includes Indian Foreign Policy, West Asian Politics, India and the neighborhood, Foreign policy of Turkey, Israel, and Iran, Refugees, Human Rights, and International Security. Apart from contributing research articles on West Asia and Afghanistan, she has presented papers at various national and international conferences related to her area of study. Women’s Rights in Afghanistan: A Long Struggle Ahead “There is no tool for development more effective than the empowerment of women. No other policy is as likely to raise economic productivity or to reduce child and maternal mortality..
    [Show full text]
  • SCA Annual Report 2019
    2019ANNUAL REPORT About Annual Report 2019 The Swedish Committee for Afghanistan, SCA, wants to show with this report what we’ve achieved with the resources provided to us by members, the general public, organisations and government bodies in Sweden and abroad. The report also functions as a short and comprehensive descrip- tion of the situation in Afghanistan during 2019. SCA strives for reporting that is open, relevant and balanced and points to results as well as risks and problems. It’s also meant to show the irregu- larities that have been brought to the organisations attention, and which are unfortunately inevitable due to the circumstances SCA is working in. The report paints a broad picture of SCA’s interventions and results. The information presented is a selection, since SCA’s activities are to extensive to be described in detail. For the reader looking for deeper knowledge, we can recommend SCA’s annual report to SIDA or any of the evaluations mentioned in the report. If you have any questions about SCA’s work in Afghanistan or this report, please contact us at [email protected]. Editor: Christer Bengtsson Text: Klas Bjurström, Christer Bengtsson Design: Bedow Cover The image show midwife student Negina Arman with her own son in the nursery at SCA’s midwife school in Wardak. “Our society has so many challenges we must face. I want to become a midwife because I’ve seen mothers facing so many problems, before I started my education here. My wish is to become a successful midwife.” Photo: Anna Ek 2019ANNUAL REPORT Content verksamhetsberättelse
    [Show full text]
  • Persian Gulf Francesca Citossi
    Persian Gulf Francesca Citossi Where is Afghanistan going? The negotiations, the elections, the costs of the conflict The almost-agreement with the Taliban At the beginning of September, the agreement between the Taliban and Washington (discussed in Doha, Qatar, where the Taliban since 2013 have a representative office, but the talks began in 2007), after long and arduous negotiations conducted by the US Special Representative for Afghanistan Reconciliation Zalmay Khalizad, seemed to have been reached. It envisaged "in principle" the withdrawal within 135 days1 since the signing of the agreement of 5,400 US soldiers out of 14,000 present (the current agreement with the government allows a presence until 2024). In return, the Taliban, led by Abdul Ghani Baradar, were ready for a public declaration not to grant their territory to terrorist groups for international attacks, in this case the Islamic State Khorasan, the Afghan group affiliated to the self-styled Islamic State (about 5,000 men)2. Officially, following the September 5th attack, President Trump did not want to proceed, but there were already many doubts about the agreement between the parties3. The invitation planned for the Taliban - and President Ghani - for a meeting at Camp David has been withdrawn. More likely, the plans for the meeting never really came about because the Taliban leaders were ready to visit the United States only after the negotiated agreement had been signed and announced. In recent months, however, other attacks had been conducted, and never interrupted, in the capital4 as well as in the provinces of Kunduz, Baghlan, Takhar, Badhakshan, Blak, Farah and Herat, making it clear who had effective control of the territory (about half of the country).
    [Show full text]
  • April 2020 MLM
    VOLUME XI, ISSUE 4, APRIL 2020 THE JAMESTOWN FOUNDATION AQIM’s Next Decoding Ustadh An Update on Usama Generation Abu Alaa al- Mokhtar Mahmoud—The Mauritanian Walai: Tehran’s Belmokhtar: Is Shadowy and Theologian, Loyal Iraqi the One-Eyed Uncrowned BRIEF Archivist and Militiaman Jihadist Still Leader of AQIS Mediator: Abu Alive? Numan JEMIMAH JOHN FOULKES JACOB ZENN HUDSON ANIMESH ROUL RAMI JAMEEL VOLUME XI, ISSUE 4 | APRIL 2020 Aslam Farooqi: Head of Islamic State- April 30; Hindustan Times, April 9). More Khorasan Arrested recently, he became a commander of Islamic State’s military wing operating in Peshawar city, John Foulkes Pakistan, before being deployed to the Achin district of Afghanistan’s eastern province of On April 4, an operation conducted by Nangarhar (TOLO News, April 4). Farooqi was Afghanistan’s intelligence agency, the National also the commander of IS-K operations in Directorate of Security (NDS), successfully Pakistan’s Khyber agency. The NDS statement captured the head of Islamic State-Khorasan released following Farooqi’s captured stated that (IS-K), Aslam Farooqi, along with 19 other he was placed in charge of IS-K by Islamic militants (TOLO News, April 4; Al Jazeera, April State’s central leadership following the killing of 4). Farooqi was arrested during a multi-day his predecessor, Abu Saeed Bajawori, by Afghan operation in the southern province of Kandahar. and U.S. forces in 2018 (Pajhwok, April 4). According to a NDS commander involved in the operation, the arrest of a weapons supplier However, the United Nations said in a July 2019 provided information that led to Farooqi’s arrest report that his promotion came later—in April (TOLO News, April 6).
    [Show full text]
  • Policy Dialogue on E-Commerce in Afghanistan
    Policy Dialogue on E-commerce in Afghanistan Proceedings Report This report summarizes the deliberations of the Policy Dialogue on E-commerce in Afghanistan. The Dialogue was held in native languages and this document provides translated summary of the discussions in English. Statements, viewpoints, and opinions reported in this paper do not constitute endorsement or agreement by the Biruni Institute. Biruni Institute organized the “Policy Dialogue on E-commerce in Afghanistan” in January 28, 2020 in Kabul. The event brought together all the concerned stakeholders - women entrepreneurs, Government E C Departments/Ministries, Chambers of Commerce, experts to evaluate the status of e-commerce in Afghanistan, challenges and opportunities, and take stock of the potential needs for future engagements in term of capacity L O building and knowledge transfer. The Policy Dialogue on E-commerce in Afghanistan offered an opportunity to enhance the knowledge and capacity of entrepreneurs, particularly E M female entrepreneurs, in the application of e-commerce platforms to expand their business exports and participate in local, regional and global M supply chains. C The world has witnessed the rapid emergence of electronic commerce (e- commerce) that is the buying and selling of goods and services over the E internet. This has brought about significant changes in the way business is T conducted across the globe. The COVID-19 crisis and the lockdown further accelerated expansion of e-commerce & use of digital platforms towards R new firms, customers and types of products. This was equally witnessed in R Afghanistan during the first wave of Covid-19 in summer 2020.1 C The South Asia region is also experiencing substantial growth through e- commerce platforms.
    [Show full text]
  • Covid-19: Implications for Localisation. a Case Study of Afghanistan and Pakistan
    HPG working paper Covid-19: implications for localisation A case study of Afghanistan and Pakistan Zaki Ullah, Saeed Ullah Khan and Eranda Wijewickrama June 2021 Readers are encouraged to reproduce material for their own publications, as long as they are not being sold commercially. ODI requests due acknowledgement and a copy of the publication. For online use, we ask readers to link to the original resource on the ODI website. The views presented in this paper are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the views of ODI or our partners. This work is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 4.0. How to cite: Ullah, Z., Ullah Khan, S. and Wijewickrama, E. (2021) Covid-19: implications for localisation. A case study of Afghanistan and Pakistan. HPG working paper. London: ODI (https://odi.org/en/publications/covid-19-implications-for-localisation-a-case-study-of-afghanistan- and-pakistan). This PDF has been prepared in accordance with good practice on accessibility. Cover photo: Covid-19 disinfection in Garhi Yaseen Market in District Shikarpur, Sindh, Pakistan. Credit: Syed Aatif Shah/ACTED Acknowledgements The research team would like to thank the many people who contributed to this paper, including national and international actors in Afghanistan and Pakistan who participated in the research, the peer reviewers who shared their insights, and the members of the Humanitarian Policy Group (HPG) who supported the development of the report. Thanks to Laura Mertsching (HPG) for project management; Eleanor Davey (Humanitarian Advisory Group (HAG)) for editing this paper; and Hannah Bass (HPG) for design and production.
    [Show full text]