"Immediate assistance is needed to combat the consequences of the longest and most severe drought in Afghanistan," says Haneef Atmar, Minister for Rural Rehabilitation and Development (MRRD) and chairman of the Drought Response Steering Committee. The scale of the needs and the impact on the population are described in the funds-appeal document, 'The Decline Towards Crisis: Afghanistan's Deteriorating Drought Situation' jointly prepared by the Afghan government and the United Nations. The appeal, following extensive data gathering and analysis of the problem,

La confusion entretenue entre acteurs humanitaires et militaires en Afghanistan entrave sérieusement l'action des ONG qui ont pour but de venir en aide à toute communauté dans le besoin.

Les attaques violentes et les menaces à l'encontre de la population afghane et du personnel humanitaire ont considérablement augmenté au cours des derniers mois. En signant cette déclaration, nous, organisations humanitaires, souhaitons exprimer notre colère et notre frustration grandissantes face aux menaces et aux attaques dont nous sommes victimes

This appeal has been prepared in partnership by the Government of the Transitional Islamic State of Afghanistan and the United Nations. The Government and the United Nations seek to respond together to the immediate needs arising from the continued drought in the country.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

2004 was the sixth year in which rain and snowfall were significantly below average in Afghanistan, exacerbating the chronic water shortage that has been plaguing the country since 1997. Populations are now threatened in localised pockets in at least seventeen provinces across the country.1

Spokesperson: Jean-Philippe Chauzy
AFGHANISTAN - Out of Country Registration and Voting - IOM field staff in Iran will this week begin setting up offices across the country in preparation for the upcoming presidential elections in Afghanistan, scheduled for 9 October.

The out of country voting for Afghans is being conducted by IOM's Out of Country Registration and Voting Programme (OCRV). The OCRV is targeting all Afghans over the age of 18 living in Iran and Pakistan. There are 650,000 Afghans in Iran who are eligible to vote, more than 200,000 live in Tehran.

Highlights

- The Transitional Islamic State of Afghanistan and the UN have launched a joint appeal for assistance to tackle the problems arising from drought and water shortages.

- Climatic changes and very low precipitation have caused a severe shortage of drinking and irrigation water in many parts of the country.

- Field assessments indicate further declines in water sources compared to last year and recent drought years.

- Around 8,000 families are reported displaced due to shortage of water.

Program Description

USAID/OTI is increasing citizen awareness of and confidence in the process of recovery, rehabilitation and democratic political development in post-conflict Afghanistan. This is being accomplished by:

Highlights

Kenya - Drought emergency declared in 26 districts -The president of Kenya declared the current drought a "national disaster" and appealed for relief food assistance. Early cessation of rains in May has led to the wilting of crops and insufficient replenishment of pastures. Twenty-six of the 71 districts of Kenya are affected and 1.8 million people are considered in need of food aid. The most vulnerable households are found in Eastern province, Coastal province and in pastoral areas.

Somalia - Poor performance of the

SG/SM/9458, AFG/261

The following statement was issued today by the Spokesman for Secretary-General Kofi Annan:

The Secretary-General is deeply concerned by the violent attacks that were carried out on Sunday in Afghanistan's capital, Kabul, and in Paktia province. He is particularly troubled by the high toll of dead and wounded, including children.

The Secretary-General calls on the Government of Afghanistan, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization-led International Security Assistance Force for Afghanistan (ISAF), and the coalition forces

For a cost of less than half a million dollars, the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) has completed its largest-ever campaign to fight intestinal worms, treating more than 4.5 million children in Afghanistan against the biggest cause of disease in young children in the developing world.

WFP Deputy Country Director for Afghanistan Michael Jones described the programme - which was conducted with the help of the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF), the World Health Organization (WHO) and Afghan government ministries - as an "incredible achievement."