This Final Report is intended for reporting on emergency appeals
The Federation's mission is to improve the lives of vulnerable people by mobilizing the power of humanity. It is the world's largest humanitarian organization and its millions of volunteers are active in 178 countries. For more information: www.ifrc.org

Launched on: 22 August 2000 for 12 months for CHF 2,268,146 to assist 100,000 beneficiaries. The appeal was extended until July 2002.
Period covered: August 2000 - July 2002;
Last Operations Update (no. 04) issued 12 December 2001

TALKING POINTS
Condolences

UNAMA would like to express condolences to the family and friends of Afghan national Habib Shahimi who died in tragic circumstances on 19 December. As you know on that day, two international Journalists from the NGO AINA and their Afghan colleague were the victims of a grenade attack in front of German hospital in the center of Kabul. Later on Mr. Shahimi regrettably died of serious wounds in that hospital. The condition of AINA journalists who were wounded is now stable. We wish them a quick recovery.

Sadly, there was another tragic incident,

UNICEF HIGHLIGHTS THE NEED TO ACCELERATE REPONsE TO MATERNAL MORTALITY

• Situation of maternal mortality in Afghanistan amongst the worse in the world
• Some 600,000 people are in urgent need of humanitarian assistance as winter arrives in the country
• Maintaining the momentum with education
• Diarrhoea reduction among children
• Expanding awareness of HIV among youth

1. EMERGENCY OVERVIEW AND CURRENT SITUATION

Current challenges and progress

A Guide to Humanitarian and Development Efforts of InterAction Member Agencies in Iraq, Iran, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Jordan, and Lebanon
December 2002

Background Summary

Introduction

Wars, sanctions, shifting alliances, and massive flows of civilians have created precarious political, economic and humanitarian situations in the region that includes Iraq, its neighbors, and Lebanon. Issues of ethnicity, religious and political affiliation, and nationality have been significant factors throughout the course of

Welcome to the sixteenth edition of the Health Inforum Newsletter. In our ongoing efforts to provide useful information to the whole of the health community, we continue to welcome any comments or suggestions you might have to help us improve this newsletter.
1st December 2002

Although AIDS has spread more slowly in the Arab region than elsewhere in the world, there were an estimated 80,000 new infections last year, bringing the number of infected people in the region to 500,000. Efforts to prevent and control the disease are

From RFE/RL Iran Report Volume 5, Number 43
Farmers in Iran's southeastern Sistan va Baluchistan Province depend on water from Afghanistan's extensively used Hirmand (Helmand) River to irrigate their crops, and the division of the waters has been a contentious issue for many years.

In March 1969, for example, Kabul would agree to ensure water flow to Iran only in exchange for credit facilities, improved access to Iranian ports, and development assistance, according to the diaries of Iranian Minister of Court Asadollah Alam ("The Shah

HERAT, Afghanistan (UNHCR) - Mohammad stands outside his textile shop in Herat, western Afghanistan, smiling as he watches his countrymen retrace the steps he once took. Like them, he had sought refuge in Iran - when Herat was bombarded during the Soviet invasion. And like them, he chose to come back to his native city, in 1993.
Today, as he welcomes the new wave of returnees from Iran, he says, "I feel like members of the family are coming home. I can understand their feelings. They feel like they've been released from prison. I had the same feeling in Iran."

KANDAHAR (NNI): Afghan Minister for Housing and Urban Reconstruction, Youssef Pashtun, has said his government had approved the restoration in the flow of Hirmand river for 60 days to Iran and was surprised by the sudden disruption after a recent short flow.

Water from Hirmand river which rises from Hindu Kush mountain in Afghanistan, has developed into a row between the two countries.

The Afghan government temporarily released the water recently, but its immediate disruption triggered protests from Iran.

"The flow of water from Hirmand

UNITED NATIONS
Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA)
Integrated Regional Information Network (IRIN)
[This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations]

NAIROBI, 14 November (IRIN) - WESTERN REGION

The massive refugee camp of Maslakh, west of Afghanistan's historic western city of Herat, stands as a sharp reminder of the challenges destitute Afghans face - even after the routing of the hardline Taliban last year. More than 100,000 men, women and children struggle to survive in the squalid camp - almost half have been there for