Speaking at the 'Consolidation of Peace (DDR) in Afghanistan' conference in Tokyo yesterday, the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Afghanistan, Lakhdar Brahimi said: "DDR is a fundamental component of the whole effort to advance the peace process, build the rule of law and allow for reconstruction and investment to return Afghanistan to a normal economic and social footing."

Mr. Brahimi also acknowledged that the

Appeal coverage: 75.8% (against the indicative revised budget)
Related Appeals: Annual Appeal 2002 as follows: 01.25/02 for Afghanistan, 01.26/02 for Bangladesh, 01.27 for Nepal, 01.28/02 for Pakistan and 01.29/02 for Sri Lanka
Outstanding needs: CHF 1,264,395

Summary: Significant progress has been made in strengthening the national societies in South Asia during

After twenty years of war, including a decade of Soviet occupation and ensuing civil strife, Afghanistan is in shambles. The protracted and widespread conflict plus a string of natural disasters have left the country deeply mired in a prolonged humanitarian crisis. For the past two decades, Afghans have remained the single largest population of refugees and internally displaced persons (IDPs) in the world.

Note: this Situation Report updates previous Central Asia Task Force Situation Reports and Fact Sheets. New information is italicized.

Background

Two decades of war in Afghanistan, including a decade-long Soviet occupation and ensuing civil strife, left Afghanistan impoverished and mired in an extended humanitarian crisis. Government

212 district Shuras were conducted so far. In them some 9,361 people were selected of which 79 were women and they will go to the second phase. At the last briefing someone asked me about the second phase and so far, 16 districts have conducted their second phase elections and there there are 46 people elected of which one is a woman. That was in district of Injeel, Herat.

This process is very much decentralized so the decisions are made locally as to when they conduct the Shuras. We

Heavy rains continue to flood districts in the northeastern Afghan province of Badakhshan, which could cause considerable damage if prolonged, a UN official told IRIN on Friday. "It has been raining heavily for the past three days," UN resident coordinator for Badakhshan, Paola Emerson in the provincial capital Faizabad said. Although there had not been any significant damage or injuries reported