Humanitarian Access Snapshot (July 2021)

KEY ISSUES KEY FIGURES MONTHLY TREND Summary IN JUL 2021 IN 2021 Humanitarian incidents Humanitarian partners reported at least 176 access impediments to the HAG in July 2021 in Afghanistan. This is a significant decrease from the 274 Previous -3 year average 300 incidents reported in June, which is the highest number of access impediments recorded since the HAG began documentation in 2016. 274 The overall high incident levels observed in June were due to factors such as an increased number of movement restrictions and military operations, total number of access with the responsible for most of these incidents. The spike in access impediments in June also correlated with the overall Taliban strategy 176 1291 incidents 250 which focused on overrunning multiple districts and District Administrative Centres (DACs), thereby operating on a broader geographical scale. However, approximately from mid-July onwards, the Taliban has changed their tactics and refocused efforts on provincial capitals while concentrat- total incidents related to 200 ing most of their resources and firepower on geographically focused areas, thereby affecting fewer organisations. 16 187 health workers or facilities 150 Movement restrictions 5 30 aid workers killed Restrictions on the movement of humanitarian organisations, personnel and goods within Afghanistan in July continued to be the most reported 100 constraints, with a total of 66 incidents reported. This is a decrease from the 121 incidents recorded in June. Excluding the month of June, the 57 number of incidents recorded during July is consistent with the average levels of movement restrictions recorded by the HAG throughout 2021. As 11 74 aid workers injured 50 previously mentioned, the spike in reported cases in June was primarily caused by the country-wide Taliban offensive. Strikingly, the Taliban caused all of the reported movement restriction incidents in July except for ten incidents where humanitarian partners’ movement were instead restricted by aid workers abducted 0 demonstrations. 10 54 Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul At least 21 incidents in July involved blockages at checkpoints. More than 62 per cent of all the movement restrictions at checkpoints were recorded within the usual areas of the Bala-Buluk district in Farah province. In at least 34 instances, humanitarian partners were not able to travel due to ongoing Taliban attacks against ANSF personnel and positions. With the Taliban increasingly taking over main roads and forcing ANSF to withdraw to major urban centres, the theatre of conflict could move away from the ACCESS CONSTRAINTS IMPACTED GROUP/AUTHORED BY countryside to areas within and around the provincial capitals as the fighting intensifies. This could result into a decrease in the number of access impediments attributed to Taliban attacks against ANSF in rural areas. 36 37 Movement Restriction 66 Moreover, dictated by the overall deterioration of the security situation in Afghanistan, humanitarians have significantly reduced the scale of their All Humanitarian 78 operations and reduced the number of staff members travelling. The decrease in the number of reported movement restrictions faced by 20 Military Operations and Kinetic Activity 53 International NGO humanitarian organisations is therefore related to the overall reduced humanitarian footprint. Violence/Threats Against Humanitarian 49 NSAG - TB Military operations and kinetic activity Personnel/Assets/Facilities 29 International 142 Military operations and kinetic activity by parties of the conflict remained a major constraint. At least 53 incidents were reported in July, thus similar to Interference in the implementation of 35 humanitarian activities Organization the levels recorded in May (54). This signifies a significant drop from a very kinetic activity seen throughout June when 93 such incidents were14 15 recorded, attributed to the concentration of Taliban in areas in close proximity to the provincial capitals in an attempt to establish footholds for further Physical environment and lack of 9 National NGO 14 advancements. All of the incidents recorded by the HAG in July related to military operations and kinetic activities have been caused by the Taliban – infrastructure except for four airstrikes, which were attributed to ANSF activity. 13 Levy request 4 At least ten humanitarian workers were affected during military operations and kinetic activities in July: one was killed and at least nine were Community members 13 wounded, in four separate incidents. During one of these incidents on 18 July, five humanitarian casualties resulted from an AAF airstrike targeting6 ACG 12 7 Taliban members in the vicinity of a district hospital. Moreover, health facilities have been affected by kinetic activities and military operations in at ANSF 1 least six instances during July. Moreover, July has seen a significant increase in the number of airstrikes as compared to levels seen throughout 2021, from an average of one incident of such type on a monthly basis to at least four recorded in July. This increase is likely attributed to ANSF conducting airstrikes closer to urban areas as a response to the Taliban approach to densely populated areas with a higher concentration of humanitarian compounds and facilities. It is possible to suggest that ANSF will continue to rely on airstrikes as their most effective means of warfare. With the clashes being constructed predominantly within the urban areas, further incidents resulting in damage to humanitarian facilities as well as the 1 Kunduz Badakhshan possibility of collateral involvement for the personnel cannot be ruled out. Jawzjan Balkh Takhar 6 8 Due to the military operations and kinetic activities in July in least 32 instances, humanitarian organisations were forced to temporarily halt their 6 4 7 Samangan Baghlan operations. In two instances, humanitarian partners were forced to relocate multiple staff members due to a deteriorating security situation. Faryab 8 Sar-e-Pul 7 Physical Environment and Lack of Infrastructure 1 Panjsher Nuristan Badghis 4 Bamyan Parwan 2 At least four incidents were reported in July related to attacks against mobile network infrastructure and suspension of network coverages. The 12 2 Kapisa 3 Knr.1 3 1 Lgh. 3 6 attacks against physical environment and infrastructure affecting humanitarian actors have been an issue for an extended period of time but notably Hirat Maidan Wardak 16 Nangarhar 9 Ghor 1 4 deteriorated since April 2021. This has been dictated by constant attacks against mobile network infrastructure, as well as demands towards network Logar 5 2 providers coming predominately from Taliban to suspend or limit network coverages. Limited network coverages and blackouts significantly affect Daykundi 2 Paktya Ghazni Khost the capacity of humanitarian actors to proceed in the field and increases the reliance on alternative means of communications, such as satellite 1 6 7 5 Number of incidents by province phones, which occasionally can be perceived with a high level of suspicion by parties of the conflict. Moreover, in July, Taliban members continued Farah Uruzgan - + conducting attacks against road infrastructure and damaged two bridges. 13 Paktika 1 Violence against humanitarian actors Zabul No Data 1 2 5 15 22 July has logged the highest numbers of access constraints involving violence against humanitarians since March 2021, with at least 29 confirmed cases reported. As compared to May and June, the increase was attributed to incidents initiated by criminal elements and members of the Taliban. 1 4 Nimroz The overall increase in the number of criminally motivated incidents could continue to rise if there is a worsening in the general security, political and # Incidents related to health workers and facilities Hilmand economic situation. As of the incidents initiated by the Taliban, half of them was attributed to intimidation of humanitarians, either motivated by 8 22 financial gain, personal grief or related to the official and personal activity of the affected organisation and individuals. # Total incidents * In addition to the 259 incidents reported in the June snapshot, the HAG received late reports of an additional 15 incidents

Disclaimers: The designations employed and the presentation of material on this map do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of the Secretariat of the United Nations concerning the legal status of any country, territory, city or area or of its authorities, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries. Creation date: 15 August2021 Data sources: Conflict/Access Constrains/Humanitarian Incidents (Various, as of 15 August 2021) . These numbers are expected to change as new information becomes available. Feedback: [email protected] Website: http://www.unocha.org/afghanistan http://afg.humanitarianresponse.info