Afghanistan

Leave no one behind

By Monica Awad

Aibak, Samangan, 22 March 2019 - For 40-year old Thuraya, life has been unbearable. Six years ago, she lost her husband to cancer, and she was left with no choice but to stand on her own feet to support her children.

In a village, where the labour market is almost non-existent, Thuraya had limited work opportunities.

Africa

Burkina Faso

02 February 2019: In Kongoussi region, militants presumed to be from Ansaroul Islam (JNIM) attacked and stole a Burkina Faso Red Cross vehicle, abducting its four passengers and driver in the process. Source: ACLED1

March 25th, 2019 ― Doha: Qatar Red Crescent Society (QRCS) has inaugurated a humanitarian project to provide water and sanitation (WATSAN) services in remote and underserved areas of Afghanistan.

The one-year project is estimated to help a total of 25,930 persons in 28 villages of seven districts across the provinces of Kandahar, Helmand, Farah, Kabul, and Nimruz.

Vaša Prava and UNHCR supported asylum seekers (who registered their claim over nine months ago) to become legally eligible for employment in BiH.
On 2 February, the Una-Sana Canton authorities placed a restriction on the entry of newly arriving single men to the Miral and Bira TRCs.
Approval from the Government of Herzegovina-Neretva Canton is still pending for refugee and migrant children in the Salakovac Reception Center to access primary school.

KEY INDICATORS

4,800 – 5,300 estimated refugee and migrant population at the end of February 2019

KABUL - An airstrike conducted by international military forces on the night of Friday to Saturday in Kunduz in support of pro-Government forces on the ground killed 13 civilians and injured three more, according to preliminary findings of the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA).

By Rebecca Ratcliffe

As a funding appeal languishes, conflict, poverty and the worst drought for a decade have left millions facing desperate hunger

Shafiqa watches closely over her six-month-old niece. Lying on a bundle of fabric, Maryam’s legs jut out, thin and pale. When they arrived at hospital two weeks ago, she could hardly breathe. Her body was swollen with malnutrition, her lips and fingers were blue.

In Numbers

29,941 people assisted in February 2019

298 mt of food assistance distributed

US$ 177,887 cash-based transfers made

US$ 0.92 m six months (March-August 2019) net WFP Iran funding requirements

Operational Updates

PESHAWAR: A three-day anti-polio campaign will begin in twenty-five districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa tomorrow.

According to Provincial Health Department, about five point six million children up to five years of age will be administered anti-polio vaccine during the campaign.

More than twenty-seven thousand teams have been constituted which will visit door-to-door to ensure administering anti-polio drops to each and every child.

Mazar-e-Sharif, Afghanistan – The second USAID Forward Together: Women in Business regional trade fair ended this week in Mazar-e-Sharif, Balkh Province. The three-day event (March 21-23) coincided with this year’s observance of Nowruz. USAID supports these annual regional trade shows to showcase products and services of Afghan women-owned companies or companies that employ substantial numbers of Afghan women.

HERAT - Ending the conflict is the only sure way to protect civilians from harm said participants at UN-backed TV programmes in the western province of Herat.

In a series of televised discussions, panelists from civil society, women organizations, human rights and community leaders discussed the toll of the conflict on communities and families, particularly women and children.

KABUL – The UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) condemns the attack carried out Saturday during celebrations around Nowruz in the southern town of Lashkar Gah, Helmand province.

Initial findings indicate that at least three civilians were killed and dozens were injured in an attack that deliberately targeted local civilian government officials.

Launching of the National Nutrition Strategy

Kabul, 21 March 2019: Afghanistan took a critical step in efforts to fight one of the highest undernutrition rates in the world yesterday, with the launching a National Nutrition Strategy that provides the roadmap for partnership, investments and action.

1. On March 22, upon the request of the Government of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, the Government of Japan decided to provide emergency relief goods (Tents, Blankets etc.) through the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) to Afghanistan in response to the damages caused by the recent Flood.

Les enfants pris dans des conflits prolongés sont trois fois plus susceptibles de mourir d’une maladie transmise par l’eau que de la violence

NEW YORK, le 22 mars 2019 – Les enfants de moins de 15 ans vivant dans des pays touchés par des conflits prolongés sont, en moyenne, près de trois fois plus susceptibles de mourir d’une maladie diarrhéique provoquée par un manque d’eau salubre, d’assainissement et d’hygiène que des effets directs de la violence, affirme l’UNICEF dans un nouveau rapport paru aujourd’hui.

Project Update
20 March 2019

Widespread conflict and severe drought has forced over 150,000 people to flee villages in northwestern Afghanistan and seek shelter in the city of Herat. Their condition remains extremely fragile, as they face shortages of food and limited access to healthcare. Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) opened a winter clinic in Herat to provide much-needed assistance to these vulnerable people.

Little Bibi Hawa is four years old. She has been suffering from pneumonia and fever for four days. Her father, Agha Muhammad, is very worried.

WMO promotes inclusive and innovative hydrological solutions

WMO joins the international community in celebrating World Water Day 2019, under the theme “leaving no one behind.”

According to the recently released United Nations World Water Development Report, Leaving No One Behind, over 2 billion people live in countries experiencing high water stress—a problem that will be magnified as the demand for water rises and the effects of climate change intensify.

Tropical cyclone Idai causes heavy flooding in Mozambique and Zimbabwe

Africa Overview

Tropical cyclone Idai caused flooding in southeastern Africa

Last week, Tropical cyclone Idai caused major flooding in Mozambique and Zimbabwe. The storm made landfall on Thursday, bringing torrential rainfall and strong winds to central Mozambique (Figure 1). Moderate to heavy rainfall was observed in central South Africa and northern Madagascar, while below-average and limited rainfall was received elsewhere.

• Following cyclone Idai’s landfall in Mozambique, accessibility in many areas remains a challenge, particularly Beira City. However, outside of Beira, polio outbreak response is ongoing in Zambezia.

Children living in protracted conflicts are three times more likely to die from water-related diseases than from violence – UNICEF

NEW YORK, 22 March 2019 – Children under the age of 15 living in countries affected by protracted conflict are, on average, almost three times more likely to die from diarrhoeal diseases caused by a lack of safe water, sanitation and hygiene than by direct violence, UNICEF said in a new report today.