Southern Region Humanitarian Regional Team (HRT) Meeting Minutes Minutes of Meeting – 25 April 2016 Participants OCHA (Chair), UNHCR, WFP, UNICEF, FAO, ICRC, MEDAIR, HRDA, SHAO, IOM, MSF, INSO, SCI, ANCC, UNMACCA, SWABAC, Mercy Malaysia, HI, CHA, OHW, DRC and SERVE Afghanistan Agenda Item and Discussion Action Point By Whom/Status Opening by recitation of Holy Quran of Sharifullah Hussaini - OCHA N/A N/A Minutes of previous meeting were reviewed (including action points) and adopted. Action points from the last HRT meeting: INSO presentation (Done) OCHA to do follow up on pre- harvest survey and Child protection WHO invitation for Health cluster meeting (Done) OCHA FSAC pre harvest survey results sharing (Pending) assessment reports sharing with WFP & UNICEF UNICEF to share country wide child protection assessment report (Pending) Email circulation asking for staff nomination for assessments (done) 1. Humanitarian overview in Southern Region - OCHA During the course of this month, the humanitarian situation remained volatile across the region. Hilmand, Uruzgan & Kandahar provinces were the main hotspots for insecurity and Natural hazards. Access to Dehrawud district continued to be hindered due to AGEs control over Tangi Salang area. Civilians are allowed to cross the blocked way by walk but no vehicle is allowed. Despite allocation of food and NFIs assistance up to Tirinkot, the verified families could not be reached by humanitarian partners. However, market prices are increased and there are reports about movement of people to other locations and some to Tirinkot. DoRR director in Uruzgan through letter has informed OCHA that 175 families are displaced which also includes 91 from Dehrawud and are believed to be families previously verified within the district. Similarly, Grishk district in Hilmand remains inaccessible for humanitarian partners due to active fighting between AGEs and ANSF with AGEs presence for more than last two months. Displacement reported about 105 families report could not be access by humanitarian partners, 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 therefore, was shared with ICRC for further consideration. Reportedly, floods incidents were resulted in killing people (including women & children), damaged/ destroyed HH, infrastructure and washed agricultural lands in Dehrawud, Khas Uruzgan, Shahid Assas and Gizab districts but due to AGEs presence and active fight the districts could not be accessed by humanitarian partners to conduct assessment. The conflict has not only resulted in displacement but has also challenged humanitarian activities. A good example is recent attack on polio vaccinator in Zabul and closure of some health facilities in Uruzgan & Hilmand Provinces. These kind of incident may discourage partners to deliver services in remote areas. During the reporting period Insecurity & ND incidents displaced and affected families in Hilmand, Kandahar & Uruzan provinces. There were two flood incidents in Hilmand and Uruzgan. The assessment and response for both caseloads was coordinated on timely manner. The joint assessment team found 149 in Nawa, Garamser districts in Hilmand and 405 families in Tirinkot, Chora, Chinartu in Uruzgan. WFP stated that they were also informed about Market price increase in Dehrawud, however, when they contacted some sources in local market they found the increase of 15-20 % in food items price. OCHA to share the initial report of OCHA informed about recent visit to Hilmand where in meeting with ACTD (CHF implementer) and ACTD about war wounded in OCHA emergency trauma services provider. ACTD shared concerning figures of conflict casualties for one Hilmand. month (20 March to 19 April) in 12 districts of Hilmand, which were 1,500 including 252 women and 151 girls. Moreover, OCHA stated that the figures are too high and requires special attention of protection cluster to verify. The figures will be shared with UNICEF and protection cluster. OCHA emphasized on FSAC cluster participation in ND and conflict IDP incident assessments to FSAC cluster to participate in joint FSAC identify the needs raising from agricultural damages owing to floods and food needs owing to raising assessment teams in the future. market food prices. Security briefing (INSO) INSO informed about heavy fighting started on the main road between Kandahar and Tirinkot in Shahwalikot, near to border with Uruzgan. This has resulted in closing road and movement has been hindered. INSO also informed that roads between Tirinkot and many other districts are also closed, due to flooding and many due to NSAGs control. In Hilmand, there is continuation of puppy harvest and for past few weeks situation has been quitter. Which doesn’t mean that conflict has ended but Present security briefing in future INSO NSAGs are mostly engage with harvest. Sangin, Grishk and some parts of Majra where there was HRT meetings active fight around one month before are comparatively calmer. Nad Ali is the only district with continuation of conflict. Lashkargah itself appears to be stable but ANSF have secured the key entry points to the city and the areas away from Lashkargah city are very much in NSAGs control. A claim was made by gov’t that highway to Sangin is now open but repeated reports about NSAGs activities and attacks on the highway shows that the claim doesn’t appear to be so satisfactory. Kandahar security is much better may be because of regular search operations and reinforced checkpoints. Moreover, INSO informed about attack on polio vaccinators by motor cycle riders in Shahjoy district of Zabul. Reportedly, one was shot dead and another was injured. Las year similar incident United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) Coordination Saves Lives | http://afg.humanitarianresponse.info/ Document Title | 3 happened in Kandahar and Zabul province. OCHA informed INSO about Uruzgan OCT participant’s request for INSO incident reports by SMS/ e Share contact details of Uruzgan OCHA mail. To which INSO stated that once the NGO partners are registered then they can receive based NGOs with INSO security alerts. OCHA will share the contact details of each organization. 2. Cluster updates FSAC: FSAC informed about their pre-harvest assessment which aims to determine key areas of concern that may likely affect food security situation, identify types of shocks that may impact acute food insecurity and perceive the status of upcoming wheat harvests. This assessment will cover the areas FSAC to share pre-harvest as following: assessment report with HRT when FSAC All 34 provinces of the country, but with a higher focus and precision in higher wheat producing getting completed. provinces. Minimum of two districts per province, except Badakhshan in which the 4 districts will be assessed. Total 70 districts. One with intensive irrigated land One with low irrigated land Minimum of two communities per each selected district. Communities’ selection is based on Land cover data. Total 140 communities One community with intensive irrigated land One community with low irrigated land OHW: Assessment for Economically Stress Population (ESP) has been started on April 1st in Arghandab, Daman Zheri, Panjwai, Dand, Takhtapul, Maiwand and Shah walikot districts targeting 5,841 families. The assessment has been completed in most parts and will be completed soon. Distribution for targeted families will be started on 30th April. FAO: informed about Animal health project in Kandahar the project includes vaccination of animals and will be implemented on trial bases in five districts of Kandahar. FAO has demanded to conduct 26,932 vaccines. WFP: The ESP assessment has been completed however, access to Khas Uruzgna and Dehrawud districts to conduct ESP assessment remains a challenge. Health: MSF: Is working in Kandahar and Lashkargah. Since, the situation in Lashkargah remained very quiet and calm during last one month therefore, there have not been any dramatic changes in patient’s number. Save the Children: Informed about planned distribution of 40 First Aid and 10 Emergency kits to Community Emergency Response Team (CERT). United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) Coordination Saves Lives | http://afg.humanitarianresponse.info/ Document Title | 4 Nutrition: MEDAIR informed about expansion of nutrition program to two more areas Haji Aziz and Kokaran in Kandahar. Meanwhile distribution of hygiene kits has been started. Protection & WASH: OHW: Under PSN project, this month OHW distributed food and NFIs assistance to 81 families which also includes 63 IDP families and rest of the families are also selected under different PSN vulnerability criteria. The project is funded by UNHCR. UNHCR: Protection cluster meeting is planned to be held early next week. The protection monitoring is ongoing in all five provinces. UNICEF: UNICEF: Has approved a project with HRDA related to child protection in emergency. In this project 22 child friendly spaces will be established in Kandahar and Hilmand. The total direct beneficiaries will be cover 3,520 beneficiaries (1,320 IDP Children “660 boys and 660 girls” and 2,200 IDPs “1100 men and 1100 women”). MEDAIR: Informed about progress of ongoing WASH project in Kandahr. Overall