More than 1000 teachers have come to Damascus for the Risk Education training from a number of cities affected by ERW, including Aleppo, Homs and Hama. Upon return to their respective schools, they can now implement what they have learnt, raising awareness of the dangers of ERW and promoting safe behaviour. These sessions are vital in Syria’s context of conflict, where mines, unexploded ordnance, IEDs and booby traps are prevalent.

September issue of the Legal Alert, focuses on the following:

• Affordable Housing Program for IDPs and military veterans: legal procedure is adopted

• No more OschadBank monopoly on IDP social payments; reduced verification; increase in size and range of payments

• New Presidential Decree on Border Control: Introducing biometric control, obligatory e-mail declaration, and putting the Russian Federation on migration risk list

• One of the three Crimean checkpoints is to be closed

July issue of the Legal Alert, focuses on the following:

• Draft law on restoration of pensions for conflict-affected population
  
• Additional reporting for civil society organizations
  
• Draft laws on additional identification of IDPs willing to obtain passport
  
• Housing support for IDPs and register of subsidies

Afghanistan has suffered for the last 40 years with conflict and displacement of its people emanating from multiple but distinct sources. From the Soviet invasion to the Taliban regime and through to the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) intervention and its aftermath, Afghans have had to face not only the direct impact of armed violence but also waves of internal displacement, migration and refugee return. In 2016 an estimated 400,000 Afghans returned from Iran and 600,000 from Pakistan, many of whom doing so involuntarily.

1. BACKGROUND

1.1 Impact of conflict on the civilian population