Southern Region Humanitarian Regional Team (HRT) Meeting Minutes Minutes of Meeting – 25 September 2017

Participants OCHA (Chair), INSO, HRDA, IOM, DRC, Mercy Corps, Mercy Malysia, OCHA‐WR, OHW, UNMAS, SCI, APA, UNHCR, SHAO, WFP, ICRC, MSF, INTERSOS, UNICEF and WHO

Agenda Item and Discussion Action Point By Whom/Status Opening remarks by OCHA HoSO N/A N/A Minutes of previous meeting were reviewed (including action points) and adopted.

Humanitarian overview in Southern Region – OCHA

Situation overview: Continues conflicts in Southern Region led to sustains forced displacement, civilian causalities

and human violation. Less cooperation of government with OCT/ HRT in verification and response activities and

exaggerated IDPs figures. Moreover, Insufficient humanitarian capacity to manage the existing influx in Provinces

and Humanitarian services (particularly health) interrupted by parties involved in conflict.

Hilmand:

With the regain of Nawa district, the ANSF conducted intense ground offensive search operation in order to clear N/A N/A Nawa district from NSAG and the road to Nawa district was cleared and open for movement while the roads to Nad‐ e‐Ali/Marja, while Garamser remained closed. The 4TH phase of interagency assessment was completed and has verified 244 HHs and the response to 149 HHs completed so far. Displacement from Nawa to Lashkargah has been reported and the IDPs in Garamser remain unaddressed. Kandahar: NSAG intensified attacks and clashes in Shahwalikot, Khakrez, Arghistan and Ghorak districts and this resulted civilian casualties. In the result of ANSF airstrikes and ground offensives reportedly killed 13 civilians as well as an IED incident in Daman district killed 06 civilians. Initially, nearly 1,000 IDPs HHs displaced in Kandahar were reported and the Interagency assessments is ongoing for the reported IDPs. So far in two phases the team has managed to identify 227 HHs. Conflict in Uruzgan, Hilmand and Northern district of Kandahar has produced IDPs in Kandahar city, Zheri and Panjwai district. The inadequate government capacity to manage the disorganized and growing petition lists remains a challenge.

Coordination Saves Lives

The mission of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) is to mobilize and coordinate effective and principled humanitarian action in partnership with national and international actors.

http://afg.humanitarianresponse.info/ Document Title | 2

Ururzgan: ANSF increased significant ground offensive and airstrike and has expended ground operaions to districts as well. ANSF warned civilians to remains distant from NSAG. There were a number of civilians’ causalities reported as a result of airstrike, cross firing and IEDs. Rehabilitation of KDH‐TK road will facilitate smooth movement for all type movements. No major changes in roads to districts as NSAGs still having control. NSAG forcibly closed all health facilities and nearly 5,00000 populations is derived from health services. Aid distribution to 422 verified IDP families completed. The ogoing conflicts has resulted in displacement of population to NSAG controlled areas as well as Tirinkot city and reportedly 2,800 more IDPs families submitted petitions to DoRR. Zabul: The security situation is not stable in Shahjoy district. NSAGs coordinated multiple attacks on ANSF check points in Shahjoy. Unconfirmed reports say that NSAGs asked people in Ghulam Rabat and Laly villages of Shahjoy to leave areas. Zabul DoRR informed OCHA about 433+230 more displaced in Qalat and Shahjoy and humanitarian response to 71 IDP families completed.

Nimroz: Interagency assessment conducted for ND and conflict IDPs and verified and assisted 14 ND (sand storm) affected families 18 conflict IDPs. Regional Outlook: Possibility for increase in displacement and civilian causalities due to conflicts in the region. Security situation updates (INSO)

INSO presented the security analysis for last four months from May to Aug 2017; He informed about Hilmand remained quite consistent, while in Kandahar there is slight decrease in incidents during June and July 2017 and in Aug it went up its mainly because the AOG got a lot of ground in Uruzgan and Hilmand last year and now they are trying to focused on northern part of Kandahar. There were major incidences in Khakriz, Shahwalikot and Mianashin and Nesh districts so that has increased the level of security incidents and the intensity of the conflict in Kandahar province so high. With the arrival of IMF the incidents have decreased in Uruzgan, as they are mostly based in Hilmand. And they also trying to keep ANSF busy in Uruzgan so they can carry out immediate attack on northern part of Kandhaar. we see a slight decrease in Zabul as well but these two provinces northern part N/A of Kandahar district and also central Uruzgan and some other district of Uruzgan seen a little increase in security N/A incidents. Hilmand province apart from June which was a month of Ramadan and it was quite the other three months are May, July and August remain pretty consistent and they carried out their activities quite on the same level. Now we see a spike in Kandahar in month of August this shows that the AOG pretty much active in term of carrying out their activities in the northern part of Kandahar. So that’s why we saw major or great attack on northern part of Kandahar or on the ANSF positions. We see a slight increase in Urzgan province and also a slight increase in Zabul province. Apart from them other provinces remain the same and not major change but the significant things we see in the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA)

Coordination Saves Lives | http://afg.humanitarianresponse.info/ Document Title | 3

conflict in the SR is the IMF activities. Now if we look out the Hilmand provinces we see in May the level of IMF activities was very low and now with the arrival of additional IMF forces in Hilmand we see a spite and it has gone gradually up by each month. This is actually in response to what the AoG is doing and if they carry out the attack ANSF called for IMF support and IMF carry out their activities so that’s why their level of activities in Hilmand province went up. So that is one of the major reason that the AoG actually try to get space in Hilmand province and try to shift their focused from Hilmand to Uruzgan and to Kandahar. If we look at the road towards Uruzgan, the main pave road has closed for more than a year by opposition fighters or by AOG, this is the main road and pave road which was used for year by the local population, by NGOs by humanitarian actors that has enclosed by the opposition fighters in several occasions. What the government did they establish an alternate rod that people can move and resupply ANSF from that route. The road is still open for the population and currently the government decided to gravel that roads so that the people can use that road during winter season. Because the winter is approaching and many locations it is very difficult for local population to use last year. For the future we see the AoG activities looking out at the previous week and the IMF increase role in the region their activity will remain in the same level. And there won’t be any major changes in the region but still we will see some fighting in the southern Hilmand, Nawa, Garamsire district and some part of Lashkargah. In Kandahar we will see continuous fighting in northern districts like Nish, Mianishin and Shawalikot and Khakriz district. Central Tirinkot city would be actually the main aim of AoG to carry out their attacks on ANSF security built and highway connecting Kandahar and Zabul. From IMF and ANSF part we could expect some air strike and night raid in the region. Now with that the ANSF could also try to expand their operation and their clearing operation in Kandahar, Hilmand and Tirinkot city of Uruzgan province. Presentation on undocumented returnees/ deportees – IOM;

IOM through presentation informed all participates about the ongoing cross border return and reintegration process for undocumented returnees (deportees and spontaneous) from Pakistan. The families are screened at zero point by DoRR and then referred to IOM for registration and later on the families proceed to IOM Transit center nearby Kandahr city for the detailed registration, meal/ refreshment and receive mixed food and NFIs assistance. The returnees under CBRR also receives cloths, hygiene kits and transportation cost/ tickets to destination from Establish information desk in IOM Kandhar. They are also provided with medical assistance, Mine Risk education in transit center. transit center to educate returning For minor unaccompanied children receives family tracing services. deportee/ returnee families about the Relevant agencies Under CBRR activities beneficiaries receives clothes, hygiene kits – Provide ticket for first way (From Kandahar to basic and legal services in the country provinces) and cash for second way ‐ Provide food and medical assistance – Family tracing of minors IOM highlighted a gap of information desk for returnees to educate the returning families about education, health and other legal and basic services in the country and requested relevant agencies for intervention. For detailed information please see enclosed presentation.

United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA)

Coordination Saves Lives | http://afg.humanitarianresponse.info/ Document Title | 4

HAG: Humanitarian Access Group

OCHA access coordinator in Afghanistan during his visit to Kandahar informed participants about established humanitarian access group (HAG) meeting in SR. He informed that Nangahar and Uruzgan are at the top of the the table with 22 access related incidents, closely followed by Hilmand and Badghis. It is noteworthy that the conflict is most protracted in these provinces. At the district level, Tirinkot, Kabul, Lashkargah, Balamurghab and Jalalabad top the table. Both Kabul and Jalalabad are susceptible to criminality with a high concentration of aid workers. Tirinkot and Lashkar Gah are witnessing protracted conflict over the past two years. Balamurghab is 90% controlled by the Taliban. What cannot be recorded is the level of self‐imposed access constraints due to security management systems, military operations, bunkerisation and localization.

The field report indicated that Interference in programming by NSAGs – requests for beneficiary lists; Interference/ influencing attempts in polio programming by NSAGs; Interference by Govt entities when NGOs are returning from NSAG controlled areas.; Interference and leverage by NSAGs in respect of clinic closures; Negative effect of ICRC continued suspension of activities; ARCS pressure on capacity as a result ; Opportunity/Challenge to fill void of ICRC/ARCS; More open approach in the NE by NSAGs with access successfully negotiated and Presence of foreign fighters.

We can improve access in SR to establish a SR HAG; Citizens Charter – Utilize contacts, build relationships;

Community Acceptance – work with elders, find out who knows who and can share; Access Negotiation Training – In case of more support needed SR HAG to identify the need and Kabul HAG to develop a strategy; Coordination at every level; CHF allocations in agencies can share the access issues Agencies HTR areas – ongoing and primarily focused on SR; Piggy back Development actors – e.g UNDP, NGO development either through OCHA SR team or actors; ICRC, ARCS, MSF – develop relationships; Greater presence in the South: more visits, more international’s directly contact Johnny Ridge focus, rotate other people. – More support required from Kabul; Request ICCT visit to Kandahar. One meeting this winter; Request HC make a visit to SR – Lashkargah/Tirinkot as a show of confidence. High profile visit with key advocacy messages; Improved CMCoord engagement – develop CMCoord capability in SR and inform

Humanitarian Community; HCT for South – Last year a HCT was held in Herat.

Contingency & Access Exercise Tirinkot:

The humanitarian team conducted a contingency/access exercise in Kandahar on 04 July. The focus was Tirinkot and contingency planning in the event of a major attack on the city. Tirinkot is one of the stated objectives of the TB in 2017. However, currently the province of Uruzgan is 90% under the control of the TB whereas Tirinkot city is estimated at 90% under govt control. TB are currently focused on Hilmand operations as their primary objective in the south and the likelihood is that they will keep their focus on Lashkargah for now with some sporadic attacks in Tirinkot. Road access KDH to TK highway is contested and blocked. Air access only available to Military but airfield capable of receiving aircraft. No UN presence for last one year. In case of an emergency situation the two NNGOs

United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA)

Coordination Saves Lives | http://afg.humanitarianresponse.info/ Document Title | 5

will remain in the lead. ICRC program suspended. The major gap are ARCS present with least capacity. Keeping markets open will be a major challenge given the road and air accessibility issues. Pre‐positioning is very weak in TK with the focus on prepositioning in KDH. In case of displacement, population will have restricted movement; estimated that they will move to some local villages south and south east of TK and others going to Kandahar subject to air and road access. It is anticipated that a large proportion of the population will stay in TK either accepting TB control or unable to move.

To summarise, the ability to respond will depend on adequate prepositioning in Kandahar and improved prepositioning in Tirinkot; Community acceptance, engagement with elders, access negotiations vital ‐ ICRC & ARCS are essential for access negotiations; HAPA/HRDA are essential for assessment and response; NGOs, UNAFPs, ANDMA, DORR should agree to accept NNGOs assessments, and a methodology for cash disbursement must be found. Cluster updates Protection: HRDA informed about their completed, ongoing and newly started projects in Southern Region.

PRM and Child protection: This was a three years’ project and completed on 15 Sep 2017. 1500 children covered through 15 child friendly spaces

PRM SAFEE Year 3 PROJECT: This project is ongoing. This is a three years’ project, first year literacy, second year vocational skill and third year started to support the 217 vocational skill trainees. 217 female trainees received equipment’s and vocational materials for tailoring, Khamak Dozi and food processing DRL‐SPEAC year 2 project: This projects are also ongoing This is a two‐year project the first year is completed and the second year started from 1 Sep 2017. This is a legal and justice project for vulnerable and sexual victim’s children. EPAC Year 1 project newly started. This is a three‐year project which will support the children in social and Educational affairs. Community mobilization for CBCPM, CFS and facilitators identification conducted. . UNICEF CFS project: HRDA established and active 5 CFS and safe play areas; Kandahar IOM TC, UNHCR EC, Boldak ZP, Nimroz Milak, Zaranj TC. Returnees and Deportee registration Physico social counseling and information.

Health cluster: WHO prepared a special Mass causality plan for Kandahar province and implemented during Eid‐ul‐adha to prevent and on time response to mass causality incidence. WHO conducted mass causality campaign in provincial level to prevent and refer the CCHF cases. During last month the NID campaign Polio campaign conducted in Kandahar, Hilmand and Zabul provinces from 11 to 13 Sep 2017. And now polio campaign is going in Nimroz, Zabul and Uruzgan provinces. In addition, in Kandahar seven district and Hilmand three district and also metronidazole tablet added to this campaign. During last month we have two CCHF outbreak in Kandahar city, one measles outbreak in Kandahar

United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA)

Coordination Saves Lives | http://afg.humanitarianresponse.info/ Document Title | 6

Zerhi and one chicken outbreak in Zaranj Nimroz province. At country level we have six polio confirmed cases from which five confirmed cases belong to Kandahar. Regarding Health facilities, we are in the picture, that there is no active health facility in Uruzgan province. Among them three mobile health facility and Provincial hospital are active. And this issue affecting the whole Uruzgan province’ 424000 people are deprived from health services. If the situation continuous it might get into the immunity and disaster. The negotiation is going on with AGEs and they have their own demands from the BPHS. In Kandahar only one HF is partially closed and also in Helmand six health facility are partially closed

FSAC: In the month of August, WFP has successfully distributed 328 MT of mixed foods in health and emergency sector where the five provinces were covered. Specially the Nimroz Although WFP has pulled out the staff from Nimroz province but the emergency program is still ongoing the food assistance at border level. In Uruzgan, WFP has provided 227 beneficiaries the food packages and due short fall of food 195 beneficiaries categorized and they received direct cash.

WFP has rolled‐out the scope implementation and so far 350 recipients’ returnee’s family registered in scope WFP represented food cluster in APC analysis. All five provinces were recommended under emergency phasing due to many factor consider.

ES& NFIs: The ES & NFIs cluster at the national level has planned to start the winterization assistance program in Afghanistan before winter approaches and has decided that UNHCR will be the leading agency to coordinate the program with the ES/NFI cluster agencies at the central and regional level. The cluster lead for the Southern Region has organized a meeting last week at UNHCR Kandahar where only the Co‐chair of the cluster (IOM), OCHA, DoRR and ANDMA has participated in this meeting. The purpose of the meeting was to seek if the cluster agencies have plans and programs for winterization assistance. UNHCR will collect lists of beneficiaries from partners, cluster and relevant governmental departments. In the second phase, the lists will be verified through our partners and finalized by the selection committee. The Southern Region, only Kandahar, Hilmand and Uruzgan have been considered to implement the winterization program in 2017 and the assessment will take place in the mentioned provinces in order to identify the most vulnerable families. Once the assessment completed, the lists of the identified families will be verified again by our partner, finalized/approved by the selection committee.

WASH: Most of the WASH activities supported by UNICEF on regional level and 15 water supply projects are under construction under regional level. Also UNICEF actively support wash in school under wash clinical center, two of these centers are in Kandahr province in Dand and Daman district and have been constructed in Sarkari Bagh and Mansoor Ghandi and in Panjwai district CHC and the water supply and sanitation facility has been provided. For the emergency humanitarian response UNICEF has prepositioned NFI in five provinces of Southern Region.

United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA)

Coordination Saves Lives | http://afg.humanitarianresponse.info/ Document Title | 7

Nutrition: NIL

AOB: N/A N/A

5. Next HRT meeting will be tentatively convened on 30 October 2017 at 10:00 hrs. Inform participants through email OCHA

Attendance Sheet SR HRT Meeting – 25 September 2017

S/No Name Agency Position Attendance 1. Ahmad Wali Raisi OCHA HAO/OIC Yes 2. Sharifullah Hussaini OCHA Admin Assistant Yes 3. Timor Shah UNHCR Senior Program associate Yes 4. Abdul Ahad Samadi OHW Program coordinator Yes 5. Hamidullah Mutawazee MSF PC Assistant Yes 6. Mohammad Yosuf Sediq FAO OIC No 7. Sakhi Ahmad ICRC EcoSec F.O Yes 8. JOHN MUHIA ICRC EcoSEC No 9. Sardar Popal INSO DSA Yes 10. Ashley Reilley INSO SA No 11. Dr. Rohullah WHO EHA‐ Officer Yes 12. Qutbuddin UNICEF WASH Officer Yes 13. Raz Mohammad Mercy Corps Program Assistant Yes 14. Abdul Sattar Raufi WFP Program Assistant Yes 15. Asif Patialy IOM Field Coordinator Yes 16. Khan Mohammad Khadim INTERSOS Project Manager Yes 17. Rohullah Wahdat APA Project Manager Yes 18. Atiqullah Atal APA Community Mobilizer No 19. Mohammad Abaker DRC Area Manager Yes 20. Abdul Wahid Zaland NRC EFP No 21. Sabir Shenwari HI Project Manager No

United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA)

Coordination Saves Lives | http://afg.humanitarianresponse.info/ Document Title | 8

22. Abdul Samy UNMAS Project Assistant Yes 23. Simon Hermes UNAMA HoO No 24. Ravshan Bakoev UNAMA Governance Officer No 25. Eng. Abdul Basir DACAAR Field Engineer No 26. Fazal Umar Mujadidi Mercy Malaysia Country Manager Yes 27. Aziz ul Rehman HAPA Project Manager No 28. Ahmadullah Afghan NRC Protection Coordinator No 29. Jailani Khan Nasar SCI DRR Project Manager Yes 30. Mohammad Akbar NRC Emergency Coordinator No 31. Ahmad Shah MEDAIR Nutrition Supervisor No 32. Jeanet v Sohagen MEDAIR Project Coordinator No 33. Mohammad Nazir SHAO Admin Assistant Yes 34. M. Hussaini ANCC P.M No 35. Shahrokh Pazmanf OCHA ‐WR HoSO Yes 36. Najeeb Rahman DRC HUB team leader Yes 37. Mohammad Rafiq Salih HRDA Protection Manager Yes

United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA)

Coordination Saves Lives | http://afg.humanitarianresponse.info/