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The year ahead promises to be a challenging one. It will be a year in which the international assistance community builds on last year’s efforts to inject new life into peace-building and assistance initiatives in Afghanistan. As a result, donors, UN Agencies, and NGOs have formulated a common assistance strategy for Afghanistan, and are now beginning to radically change the way they operate.
The 1998 Consolidated Appeal is a transitional one. It has been put together over the past five months by more than 100 people from UN Agencies and NGOs, in consultation with members of the donor community. At the same time, many of those same people have worked to draft and redraft the new assistance strategy.
The strategy, which highlights the need to create a common assistance programme that is based on principles such as non-discrimination against women and observance of other international human rights norms, and which is regularly monitored and evaluated by external observers, won broad support at the December 1997 meeting of the Afghanistan Support Group of key donor representatives in New York.
It has not yet been possible to incorporate all the elements of the strategy into programme activities for 1998. But we pledge that next year’s Appeal will include and promote all the strategic components, and that it will mark significant progress along the new route we are all travelling.
This year’s Appeal suggests ways in which a common programme can be defined and realised, and emphasises the importance of ensuring that this process is collaborative and transparent to all stakeholders. Over the next year, the Appeal process will itself be further developed into a management tool that contributes to the building of a truly common programme, at regional and national levels.
The 1998 Consolidated Appeal for Afghanistan is requesting some $157 million -- $24 million more than was sought last year. In 1997, donors provided $56 million via the Appeal -- 42 per cent of what was requested. But the total sum of money that flowed into the assistance effort in Afghanistan last year topped $200 million -- through pledges and contributions made both through the Appeal and outside it, as well as through core funds available to Agencies. It is hoped that this year more money will be channelled through the Appeal itself.
This Appeal includes a number of longer-term projects, such as those in the fields of education and rural and urban rehabilitation -- areas which attracted little financial support last year, but which are increasingly recognised as being fundamental to the achievement of sustainable peace.
This is an Appeal to donors to continue to support life-saving and life-sustaining activities in Afghanistan and to invest in building a better future for the Afghans and their children. It demonstrates our determination to find how to carry out activities in ways that respect and enhance human rights, and to help bring lasting peace to Afghanistan.
Sergio Vieira de Mello
Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs
and Emergency Relief Coordinator
Table of Contents
1. Introduction
2. The Year in Review: 1997
3. Towards a Common Programme: The Appeal as part of the Assistance Strategy
4. Goals and Challenges for the Assistance Community in 1998
5. Key Sectoral Analysis and Priority Needs
6. National and Regional Overviews and Priorities
1. Introduction
Over the past year, the assistance community has taken a long, hard look at what it has been doing in and about Afghanistan. The reappraisal was inspired by the conviction that whatever has been achieved in the past (and much has been achieved) there is much more that can be done. The seemingly relentless degeneration of conditions for millions of Afghans, particularly for women and girls, means that the need to achieve more is all the more urgent.
These stock-taking efforts have taken place against a wider backdrop which features major steps, directed by the United Nations Secretary-General, to reform the UN, and a growing recognition that the international community needs to review and improve the ways in which it responds to complex emergencies. This awareness is shared by international financial institutions, the donor community, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and the International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), and by non-governmental organisations (NGOs). The NGO sector itself is actively engaged in reviewing its role in crisis countries, notably the extent to which it can contribute to the search for peace and justice in war-torn societies.
Elsewhere, however, interest in complex emergencies such as Afghanistan is low. Understanding is even lower. The media-consuming public has other interests - even though the rising tide of globalization means that a problem in one region is increasingly likely to impact on another.
These considerations have strengthened the determination to reconsider and re-energise the assistance effort in Afghanistan. This is not, of course, the first time the international community has reviewed the way it does business inside Afghanistan. Indeed, there has been a certain degree of wariness or cynicism at its attempting yet another review and another new approach.
But what is different this time is the acknowledgment that success will depend on a whole range of players: the aid community itself - donors, UN Agencies, NGOs, the ICRC and the IFRC, UN Member States, notably Afghanistan's neighbours, and, above all, Afghans themselves.
There is also a recognition that success will not happen overnight. It has taken the best part of a year to draft the new assistance strategy. It will take even longer to formulate the common programme recommended by the strategy.
Meanwhile, the 1997 review has prompted the aid community to revisit the role and content of the annual Consolidated Appeals for Afghanistan. Most importantly, it has been decided that, in future, Appeals for Afghanistan should be consistent with, contribute to, and reflect the international community's new assistance strategy and the common programme approach. The 1998 Appeal is therefore transitional: it builds upon the approach adopted in 1997 and anticipates a new approach to the Consolidated Appeal (See Section 4.)
This is an appeal to donors to:
- continue to support relief and rehabilitation activities inside Afghanistan
- fund key new projects which are integral to the emergence of a common programme
- support projects which strengthen the participation and welfare of women and girls
- build on the efforts of the Afghan people
- sustain commitment to the formulation and implementation of a collective assistance strategy, notably the development of a common programme
2. The Year in Review: 1997
2.1 Afghanistan: an Overview
This Appeal is being issued at a time of flux. There have been spasmodic upsurges in the fighting in the north and Kabul, but military positions have actually changed little over the last year. Signs are beginning to emerge that the warring parties may be acknowledging that a military solution to the conflict is unrealistic.
Tentative but intermittent indications, that they may be prepared to negotiate with each other, are emerging within a context of heightened international interest in ending the conflict. There are a number of reasons why this is happening: Afghanistan lies just next door to the natural resources of Central Asia; it is a major source of illicit drugs; concern about terrorism; and mounting awareness of the Afghan conflict’s destabilising influence on the economies and societies of neighbouring countries.
Over the year, international public opinion has been repeatedly outraged by reports of widespread human rights abuse, notably the plight of women and girls in urban areas. Moreover, the fact that hundreds of thousands of Afghans face a chronic humanitarian and social crisis is adding to the resolve of some members of the international community to seek ways to end the conflict.
That said, conditions on the ground leave little room for optimism. There is mounting evidence that the conflict is taking a more marked ethnic dimension. Gross breaches of International Humanitarian Law, including the probable massacre of prisoners in the north, have been reported. At the time of writing, the UN is facing both land and air blockades to the delivery of humanitarian aid to central Afghanistan. UN and NGO premises have been looted in the north, and the UN has been compelled to evacuate most of its international staff from the region, almost a quarter of the country. Some Afghan authorities have also issued hostile public proclamations denouncing the UN and questioning its motives.
2.2 The Assistance Context
Fighting continues, albeit in geographically limited areas, and could spread. Efforts to meet the country's present and future humanitarian needs are overshadowed by the ongoing deterioration of its social and economic fabric. This can be subtle, but is often all too obvious. Any list of Afghanistan’s problems will include: environmental degradation; shattered neighbourhoods; and the prevalence of landmines and unexploded ordnance. In addition: destruction or disappearance of basic infrastructure; the presence of over 2.5 million Afghan refugees in neighbouring countries; the disruption or marginalisation of civil society and traditional structures; criminalisation of the economy; and gender and ethnic discrimination. Plus the disappearance of women from public life; cruel and inhuman treatment of opponents; malnutrition; widespread disability; scarcity and substandard quality of primary, secondary and higher education. And the paucity or absence of health care facilities; looting of cultural sites; personal insecurity; and perennial uncertainty.
In 1996, Afghanistan languished at the bottom of the world's social and development rankings. It remains firmly at the bottom of the lists. If anything, the number of people dependent upon assistance has increased, not least as conditions in several parts of the country, including Kabul, Mazar-I-Sharif, Badakhshan, and the Bamyan region have further deteriorated.
Indicator
|
Figure
|
Year
|
Population
|
20.1 million
|
1994 *
|
Rural population
|
81%
|
1993 * * * * *
|
Children under 5
|
3.6 million
|
1994 *
|
Infant mortality rate
|
165 per 1,000 live births
|
1993 * *
|
Under 5 mortality rate
|
257 per 1,000 live births
|
1993 * *
|
Maternal mortality rate
|
1,700 per 100,000 live births
|
1996 * * *
|
Adult literacy
|
45.2% of men and 13.5% of women
|
1993 * * * * *
|
Access to safe drinking water
|
rural 5%, urban 39%
|
1990-95 * * * * *
|
Malnutrition
|
affects up to 35% of children under 5
|
1997 * * * *
|
Life expectancy at birth
|
43.7 years
|
1993 * * * * *
|
Daily calorie supply per capita
|
1,523
|
1992 * * * * *
|
* |
U.N. Population Division's 1994 revisions
|
* * |
State of the World's Children report, UNICEF, 1996
|
* * * |
Study by UNICEF/WHO, 1996
|
* * * * |
UNICEF/CIET Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey 1997
|
* * * * * |
UNDP Human Development Report 1997
|
And yet, against all odds, there is hope. Millions of people are coping and making the best of the few opportunities that come their way to rebuild or improve their livelihoods. Assistance projects contribute to those opportunities and have helped to save tens of thousands of lives. Such projects also have a positive impact on communities. Significantly large areas of the country have been at peace for one to two years and attempts at resuming public administration activities are numerous.
But the few rays of light only make the greater darkness more apparent. There is a need for better understanding about the impact of external assistance. Why, when it works, does it work? How is it possible to maximise the impact of limited funds and expertise? What is the best way to ensure that successful projects are sustainable? How can one be sure that all members of the community, most importantly women and the vulnerable, can effectively participate and benefit? And, above all, how can assistance contribute to legitimate enterprise, social justice, and peace?
2.3 Working Towards a Strategy for Assistance to Afghanistan
1997 began with the Internat ional Forum on Assistance to Afghanistan, held in Ashgabad, Turkmenistan, 21-22 January. The forum was attended by Member States from the region, donors, and the Afghan and international aid community. The year ended with the second meeting of the Afghanistan Support Group of major donors in New York on 3 December.
Both meetings took place against a backdrop of human suffering. During the Ashgabad Forum, tens of thousands of displaced people fled to Kabul in sub-zero temperatures from fighting in the north. During the New York meeting, the World Food Programme (WFP) and other UN and non-UN bodies were attempting to overcome formidable logistical and political obstacles to respond to the acute food shortages in central Afghanistan.
Major Undertakings in 1997
|
||
January
|
International Forum on Assistance to Afghanistan
|
Ashgabad
|
March
|
Appointment of a single UN Resident/Humanitarian Coordinator for Humanitarian and Development Activities in Afghanistan
|
Islamabad
New York |
April
|
ACC* decision to test the Strategic Framework process in Afghanistan
|
Geneva
|
April
|
First meeting of the Afghanistan Support Group
|
Geneva
|
May
|
First attempt at establishing a Joint Technical Committee with Afghan Authorities
|
Afghanistan
|
June
|
Principles on Gender Issues adopted by ECHA** and endorsed by the UN Secretary-General (see Annex II)
|
New York
|
Summer/Fall
|
UN Regional Coordination Offices established in Afghanistan
|
Afghanistan
|
October
|
Strategic Framework workshop with participation of UN Agencies, NGOs, ICRC, IFRC and donors, and first draft document completed
|
Islamabad and New York
|
November
|
Gender Mission fielded
|
Afghanistan
|
November
|
Strategy for Assistance to Afghanistan - draft completed
|
Islamabad
|
December
|
Second meeting of the Afghanistan Support Group and endorsement of the UN Coordinator’s approach to the Strategy for Assistance to Afghanistan
|
New York
|
N.B. See Annex I for additional details.
- Administrative Committee on Coordination
** Executive Committee on Humanitarian Affairs
The absence of globally recognised and effective functioning governmental interlocutors makes the task more complicated, particularly because Afghan ownership of any assistance strategy is regarded as crucial to its success. This makes it all the more important for the international community - the UN family, international financial institutions, NGOs, ICRC, IFRC and donors - to design and build effective working relationships with each other, with Afghan authorities, and with Afghan communities and representatives of civil society.
1997 was marked by the aid community's greater consciousness of the need to learn lessons from the past. The community revealed a new commitment to become clearer about the impact of its activities and about what it can and cannot expect to achieve within the broader geopolitical and economic context, and to strive to improve its performance wherever possible. Concrete steps were taken to improve coordination both within and between stakeholder groups, as well as with Afghan communities and authorities. That said, more can and should be done to consolidate those arrangements.
Most significantly, the year resulted in the decision to move towards a common programme to enhance the impact of the assistance community on the Afghan people’s quality of life. This decision has major implications for the way the assistance community goes about its business, whether in terms of funding arrangements; programme design, implementation and monitoring; or in terms of relations with Afghans. These implications need to be elaborated and made explicit in the coming year. It is, for example, necessary for aid organisations to exercise unprecedented flexibility in their working relationships.
2.4 Key Achievements in 1997
It is often difficult to know what the year's achievements have been in terms of impact on people's lives. Indeed, the assistance community is increasingly aware of the lack of data, commonly accepted assessment standards and information that would allow it to assess its own impact.
Nevertheless, for the United Nations and its partners, there were a number of significant achievements during the year, as outlined in the next table.
Key Achievements in 1997
|
||
Assistance Strategy
and Principles |
Coordination
|
Programme Formulation
|
Consensus reached at
Ashgabad regarding the need for an assistance strategy. The generation of a draft Strategic Framework for Assistance to Afghanistan following a multi-agency headquarters mission to the region, mandated by the Administrative Committee on Coordination. The formulation of a draft Assistance Strategy for Afghanistan, broadly accepted by donors and the external assistance community. The issuance, by the Secretary-General to all UN Executive Heads, of an outline of recommended policies based on a principle-centered approach to the gender issue which was formulated by the Executive Committee on Humanitarian Affairs (ECHA). An inter-agency gender mission subsequently fielded to formulate operational guidelines on their implementation. |
The appointment of a
single UN Coordinator for both humanitarian and development activities inside Afghanistan. The creation of an active body of donors, the Afghanistan Support Group. The consolidation of the Afghanistan Task Force - an informal advisory group of donor, UN and NGO representatives which works with the UN Resident/Humanitarian Coordinator. The appointment of senior UN Regional Coordination Officers for Herat, Jalalabad, Kabul and Kandahar. Fighting in and around Mazar-I-Sharif has delayed appointment of the fifth. |
Concrete steps taken
towards the realisation of a common programme, e.g. the Poverty Eradication and Community Empowerment (P.E.A.C.E.) Initiative, a multi- sectoral project in selected districts of Afghanistan; the major sustainable livelihoods programmes of NGOs; the initiation of the Programme Management Information System (ProMIS), funded by UNDP and jointly executed by FAO and ACTED, with the support of ACBAR, aimed at making accurate data available for both Afghan and assistance communities; and the efforts to enhance cooperation between UNDCP and other UN Agencies, notably UNDP. Formulation and imple- mentation of a communication strategy to support assistance activities; including the Weekly Update; a quarterly magazine; monthly newsletters in English, Dari and Pashto; regular interaction with the international and regional media; support for visiting media; and funding for BBC radio soap operas. |
.
Some Key Achievements in 1997 by Agency
|
|
ANCB
|
Ran a multiple purpose "Refresher Training Course" which covered such subjects as management, accounting, proposal/report writing, book-keeping, participatory rural appraisal, and working in partnership.
|
AREA
|
Established a workshop to produce wind-powered water pumps and other basic rehabilitation equipment in Herat.
|
DACAAR
|
Provided water-related health education via 30 two-person teams (one male, one female) in eastern and western regions.
|
FAO Crops
|
Produced more than 7,000 tonnes of high-yielding, high-quality wheat, rice, maize, and pulse seeds.
|
IRC
|
More than 400,000 people benefitted from a range of projects, in fields such as income generation, education, and agriculture.
|
Save the Children (USA)
|
Constructed 18 safe (mine-free) playgrounds for children in Kabul.
|
SERVE
|
Helped 55 visually impaired Afghans find employment.
|
UNCHS
|
Established two community fora in Bamyan, and four community centres in Kabul.
|
UNDCP
|
Launched a new four-year drug control programme for Afghanistan.
|
UNOCHA/MAPA
|
Clearance of 30 sq km of high priority mined areas by ATC, OMAR, DAFA and MDC.
|
WFP
|
A total of 1.14 million beneficiaries were provided with food assistance and employment opportunities through food-for-work projects.
|
WHO
|
Distributed essential supplies for 10,000 TB patients and provided training courses on prevention and control of TB.
|
NB: The above table lists a representative selection of key achievements in a variety of areas, ranging from capacity building to physical construction. Additional information can be found in Section 5 - "Key Sectoral Analysis and Priority Needs".
Many of the same Agencies also listed the main setbacks they had encountered in 1997. These ranged from insufficient funds, and the authorities’ policy on women’s access to employment and education, to the ongoing fighting in central and northern regions. |
3. Towards a Common Programme: The Appeal as part of the Assistance Strategy
In future, Consolidated Appeals for Afghanistan will endeavour to be consistent with the assistance strategy and demonstrate efforts to achieve a common programme. As such, they will become a useful programme management tool.
3.1 The Strategy for Assistance to Afghanistan
By the end of the Afghanistan Support Group meeting in December 1997, a number of key points relating to the assistance strategy had emerged:
a) The assistance strategy is based on three related premises:
- assistance must, at a minimum, do no harm, and, wherever possible, aim to contribute to establishing a basis for future peace and security
- assistance must work towards a shared purpose - empowering Afghans to build sustainable livelihoods
- saving lives and reducing human suffering will, for the foreseeable future, remain a priority
b) International assistance is subject to a number of agreed principles
- Twelve principles were identified, relating to issues such as human rights and gender equity, non-discrimination, Afghan sovereignty, community participation, transparency, drug control, and monitoring and evaluation
c) Efforts will continue to develop a common programme
- These will include, for example, reviewing and, where necessary, revising existing projects or initiating new ones; taking steps towards programme-wide, independent monitoring and evaluation; and gaining consensus among all stakeholders on ways to manage the common programme, both nationally and within regions
d) Common funding is premature but remains a longer-term option
- This issue will be revisited as and when a common programme takes shape. In the meantime, UN Agencies and donors will explore steps towards more collaborative and transparent funding arrangements that support the common programme. These might include greater coordination among donors on funding decisions and funding for projects and activities to catalyse the emergence of a common programme
NB - A small regional funding umbrella has been proposed in this Appeal as a first step towards implementing a common funding mechanism
e) Implementation of the assistance strategy will be phased
The first phase will include:
- revision of the Consolidated Appeal in line with the assistance strategy to allow it to serve as a management tool for the assistance community
- consolidation of existing coordination mechanisms among donors, UN Agencies, and NGOs
- improving coordination between these stakeholders and with Afghan authorities and beneficiaries
- review of management and training needs of UN Agencies and NGOs
- acceleration of data consolidation activities through ProMIS
- preparing the ground for an independent monitoring and evaluation capacity for the common programme
3.2 The Consolidated Appeal Process
During 1997 there was much debate about Consolidated Appeals. The Afghanistan Appeals were generally regarded as being relatively successful. Responses have, however, become less generous over the years. The reasons given for this vary: some say it is because of the ongoing conflict, others blame pessimism about the likelihood of finding a political settlement. Then there is "donor fatigue" and the failure of the UN and its partners to convince donors that the projects submitted will achieve their intended goals.
The 1997 Consolidated Appeal generated US$ 56 million out of the US$ 133.3 million requested, representing 42 per cent of the Appeal requirements. (See financial tables in the annexes). Significantly, 88 per cent of the funds were given for shorter-term relief-oriented activities such as food aid; mine clearance, survey and awareness; reintegration of refugees; primary health care and coordination. Activities of a longer-term and developmental nature, such as urban and rural recovery, water and sanitation, shelter assistance, and education, were poorly funded, receiving only 12 per cent of the total funds donated. Reasons given for this include reluctance to pour money into rehabilitation of a country still at war, and the persistence of human rights abuses.
In addition, despite innovations in the preparation of the 1997 Consolidated Appeal, -notably a regional approach and the involvement of donors and NGOs - there is still a wariness about its usefulness. This could be because:
- Agencies depend to different extents on funds raised through Appeals
- Donors' commitment to the Appeal process is offset by their willingness to respond to requests outside the Appeal
- Appeals have been unable to provide a succinct overview of assistance activities in Afghanistan - e.g. what funds are being deployed, what Agencies are doing, what priorities have been agreed, and what the impact is
- The formulation exercise is cumbersome and represents a significant investment of time, with uncertain benefits
- Lingering uncertainty as to whether the Appeal should cover all assistance activities or focus more on relief.
It is worth bearing in mind that the unpredictability of the level of response to the Appeal complicates the development of an assistance strategy.
At the Strategy Review meeting in Islamabad in November and at the Afghanistan Support Group meeting in December 1997, it was agreed that these concerns needed to be addressed. Some members of the Afghanistan Support Group suggested that only those funding requests received through Consolidated Appeals or coordinated with the Office of the Resident/Humanitarian Coordinator for Afghanistan should be considered.
This 1998 Consolidated Appeal is issued too soon after the December 1997 Afghanistan Support Group meeting to take all the meeting's recommendations into account. Nevertheless, this document testifies to a commitment to revise the Appeal in line with the draft assistance strategy with a view to facilitating monitoring and evaluation of the common programme. This revision will be discussed at the mid-term review meeting in June 1998.
The 1998 Consolidated Appeal for Assistance to Afghanistan is a "transitional" appeal that represents a "first step" towards a common programme. Some on-going initiatives, such as P.E.A.C.E. and ProMIS, are examples of efforts towards operationalising the common programme concept. The objective is to ensure that the 1999 Appeal will serve as the backbone of the Assistance Strategy, providing assistance actors with a common management tool.
(Refer to Section 4.5 on Suggested Guidelines for the 1999 Appeal)
3.3 Key Features of the 1998 Consolidated Appeal
The 1998 Consolidated Appeal has been prepared on a regional basis, sector by sector. The many national and multi-regional programmes - such as mine action, polio eradication, voluntary repatriation - are presented on a countrywide basis and also by sector. Individual project proposals were widely solicited from UN Agencies, and international and local NGOs, and great efforts were made to ensure that the process was transparent and inclusive.
Appeal submissions were subjected to collective screening at the regional level, facilitated by the Regional Coordination Officers, to ensure the basic competency of the appealing agencies and their capacity to implement the proposed projects. Projects were also assessed to make sure that they complied with non-discriminatory practices and to avoid duplication. Several members of the donor community participated in the two-day review session in Jalalabad in December. In addition, donor representatives visited Faizabad, Gardez, Herat, Jalalabad, Kabul and Kandahar in the autumn to discuss priority needs with the aid communities working on the ground.
The project summaries included in this Appeal follow the format developed for the inter-agency/donor review session in Jalalabad: projects' objectives and activities at the provincial level are identified. These summaries are presented in Section 7, while individual project proposals are published in an accompanying compendium.
The Priorities of the Appeal are:
- maintaining essential humanitarian programmes
- benefiting women and promoting their participation
- stimulating sustainable community livelihoods and contributing to a reduction in poppy growing
- making conditions conducive for the sustainable return and reintegration of refugees
- contributing to local peace and security
- consolidating mine awareness/surveying and demining activities
- strengthening coordination and human resource capacities
International assistance for relief and rehabilitation activities has been flowing into Afghanistan for the past 18 years. But it is far from clear what the overall amount of assistance has been or what kind of impact assistance programmes have had. Efforts have begun to obtain a clearer picture of the global figure of resources available today for assistance to Afghanistan.
As part of this effort, UN Agencies have been asked to indicate their available resources for 1998, separate from the funds they are seeking through the Appeal. As listed in the table below, US$ 97.3 million is available for UN Agencies outside the Appeal requirements. Food assistance alone accounts for a large part of these funds, amounting to US$ 55 million.
TOTAL FUNDING FOR 1998 (in US$)
|
||
Organisation
|
Secured Funds for 1998
(Core Funds and Carry-over from 1997) |
Additional Requirements through the 1998 Appeal
|
FAO-Crops
|
*2,531,000
|
12,303,097
|
FAO-Livestock
|
*2,860,000
|
2,012,500
|
UNAIDS
|
105,472
|
|
UNCHS (Habitat)
|
*4,261,000
|
3,096,000
|
UNDCP
|
5,329,000
|
3,549,675
|
UNDP
|
1,894,000
|
12,500,000
|
UNDP/UNOCHA
|
8,000,000
|
|
UNESCO
|
350,000
|
|
UNHCR
|
500,000
|
20,923,585
|
UNICEF
|
6,344,600
|
7,451,000
|
UNOCHA
|
5,691,750
|
27,859,000
|
UNOPS
|
*8,670,200
|
3,000,000
|
UNOPS/CDAP
|
*1,757,000
|
1,000,000
|
WFP
|
55,000,000
|
|
WHO
|
2,500,000
|
4,761,000
|
IOM
|
1,308,955
|
|
NGOs
|
N/A
|
49,087,860
|
TOTAL:
|
97,338,550
|
157,308,144
|
- Primarily funds provided by UNDP (US$ 17 million from UNDP out of a total of US$ 20 million.)
4. Goals and Challenges for the Assistance Community in 1998
The overriding challenge is to translate the assistance strategy into reality by developing a common programme, whilst retaining the flexibility to respond to circumstances as they evolve - including within the broader geopolitical and economic context. The possibility, despite the many false dawns over the past decade that the warring factions might arrive at a basis for a negotiated settlement, intensifies the need for the broader assistance community to be prepared.
4.1 Building a Common Programme
External assistance actors face the challenge of developing a common assistance programme. The motivation for formulating and implementing this common programme is, like that behind the draft assistance strategy and, indeed, the overall efforts of the aid community: to ensure that assistance contributes to sustainable peace.
The success of the common programme depends upon individual assistance organisations being convinced that a common programme will add value to, rather than detract from, their individual efforts. Success will depend on the willingness of aid actors - including donors, UN Agencies, and NGOs - to invest time and energy in realising it. This will require acceptance that formulating a common programme may involve agencies in having to modify the way they usually design and implement projects. Innovative thinking will be vital, as will be the development of new ways of doing business.
The Office of the Resident/Humanitarian Coordinator will catalyse and facilitate a process to realise the common programme that is as transparent and inclusive as possible. Elements are likely to include the preparation of an initial document which defines the common programme, such as:
- prioritised needs
- common global objectives
- modalities for project implementation
- greater coherence among all agencies, notably UN, regarding decentralisation of certain responsibilities inside Afghanistan
- coherent monitoring and evaluation
- Afghan ownership
- the scope of coordination, whether within or between stakeholder groups, as well as the role of UN Regional Coordination Officers
- training needs and opportunities
- benchmarks and success indicators
- a time frame
4.2 Applying Agreed Principles
The principles set out in the draft assistance strategy presented to donors at the Afghanistan Support Group meeting in December 1997 were broadly endorsed on the understanding that:
- at least one additional principle be added regarding capacity building
- they should be reviewed in the light of the recommendations made by the joint UN, NGO, and donor gender mission to the region in November 1997
- there is a need for further work to elaborate guidelines for the application of the principles
- initiatives should be taken to share the principles with beneficiaries, authorities, and the aid sector - supported by training opportunities
In addition, the UN Resident/Humanitarian Coordinator will facilitate and encourage the identification of projects which exploit opportunities to realise these principles.
4.3 Securing Afghan Ownership
The assistance programme will not have any lasting benefit unless it is owned by Afghans. The absence of a broad-based government complicates this task enormously, not least for the UN family and other multilateral institutions. It does, however, provide an opportunity to secure Afghan ownership of the programme at the community level. Many NGOs have considerable experience in doing this.
One of the principles of the assistance strategy is that "Assistance to Afghanistan presumes the sovereignty of the Afghan state and will work to rebuild the country as a whole." In this regard, the common programme can only truly exist once a recognised government acceptable to all Afghans is a full partner.
In the meantime, a number of steps will be taken to secure Afghan participation.
These include:
- the translation of key documents into Dari and Pashto
- increasing communication with Afghans, including the appointment of Afghan information officers in each region to work with the RCOs in communicating with Afghan authorities, communities and beneficiaries
- review of examples of successful community participation projects and the development of best practice guidelines relating to project. design and implementation, and to funding, monitoring, and evaluation including an independent monitoring and evaluation mechanism
- training expatriate and national staff in communication, community participation, and other skills
4.4 Consolidating Coordination
a) The Donor Community
Participants of both the first and second Afghanistan Support Group meetings acknowledged that there was scope to improve coordination between donors, and that this could support the assistance strategy and the development of a common programme. Ideas discussed included:
- Initiatives to ensure that Executive Boards of UN and other inter-governmental bodies receive consistent signals from donor capitals with regard to policies on Afghanistan, including support for efforts to develop a common programme
- Steps to enhance collaboration among donors on funding (including the expression of some ASG members’ views that only those funding requests received through Consolidated Appeals or coordinated with the Office of the UN Resident/Humanitarian Coordinator should be considered.) Donors also indicated a willingness to provide funds for catalytic and transitional projects to strengthen the common programme - for example enhancing UN and NGO coordination, training, and monitoring and evaluation
- Support for greater cross-fertilisation between the political and non-political aspects of the international community’s activities in Afghanistan
- Willingness to plan for a further stage, when a common programme is secured, that allows for contributions to a common fund
Coordination between the assistance community and donors will continue throughout the coming year, not least through the Afghanistan Task Force which has proved to be an invaluable source of informal advice and forum for the exchange of ideas.
b) UN Coordination
The complexities facing the UN in Afghanistan have resulted in a high degree of collaboration among UN Agencies, both at the Country Offices Headquarters level and in the field. Developments over the year, notably regarding gender discrimination and the health situation in Kabul, have, however, made it apparent that there is still considerable room for improvement.
The formulation of a common programme will require an even greater degree of coordination within the UN family - as well as with other inter-governmental institutions such as the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank - both at national and regional levels. The nature of this coordination will depend upon the modalities agreed upon for the development of the common programme.
The Office of the UN Resident/Humanitarian Coordinator will propose further coordination arrangements when the need arises. As far as possible, these arrangements should be agreed on a collaborative basis, recognising that coordination is as much about facilitation as leadership, within the overall aim of achieving greater coherence and consistency within the UN.
Collaboration between the UN Special Mission to Afghanistan (UNSMA) and the Office of the UN Resident/Humanitarian Coordinator has also increased during the year. This will be stepped up during 1998. Although there will still be a clear distinction between the UN’s political and humanitarian activities, it is evident that both sides stand to gain from greater exchange of information and ideas - for example in identifying possible confidence-building projects inside Afghanistan and among Afghan professionals and future leaders.
c) NGO Coordination
The NGOs, with their long history of involvement in Afghanistan and experience in dealing directly with communities throughout the country, are essential to the success of any assistance strategy and common programme.
NGOs recognise the need, and have requested donor support, for greater coordination, both with the UN and among themselves through their various coordinating bodies: Agency Coordinating Body for Afghan Relief (ACBAR), Afghan NGO Coordination Bureau (ANCB), Islamic Coordination Council (ICC), and the Southern-Western Afghanistan and Balochistan Association for Coordination (SWABAC).
The Office of the UN Resident/Humanitarian Coordinator supports such requests and plans to make training opportunities available to NGOs (and UN Agencies) to enhance coordination, management, and programming skills. It will also continue to support workshops and other events that aim to enhance NGOs’ role in Afghanistan. In addition, the Regional Coordination Officers will work closely with international and national NGOs to promote better sectoral coordination at the district and provincial levels, and in developing a common programme. Finally, the Afghanistan Task Force will be expanded to include greater NGO representation.
4.5 Suggested Guidelines for the 1999 Appeal
The elements of the 1999 Appeal will be discussed with all stakeholders during the course of the year, but the initial proposal, as outlined in the draft assistance strategy, is that it:
- should be a logical outcome of common programming
- as a consequence, be prepared on a collaborative basis - with full participation of UN Agencies, NGOs and donors
- exemplify funding transparency
- provide donors with the information they require regarding conformity of the projects being submitted to agreed principles
- provide a yardstick for monitoring and evaluation of the common programme
The initial suggestion is that future Appeals include an analysis of the response to the previous year's Appeal, plus assessments, on a sectoral basis, by region, of:
- conditions in the field
- impact on the well-being, empowerment, and participation of girls and women
- Afghan beneficiaries' and professional partners' capacities
- the capacity of external assistance actors, including UN and NGO
- training and skill needs
- impact of current activities regarding the achievement of agreed objectives
- problems and opportunities raised by agreed principles
- current priorities
It is envisaged that, in due course, these assessments should not be annual 'events' but be an ongoing process, supported by Regional Coordination Officers and involving the whole assistance community in the region.
The Appeal will also include reviews, by region, of coordination strengths and weaknesses, notably:
- in dealings with local authorities and communities
- within and between sectors
- within and between stakeholder groups
In addition to the regional approach, future Appeals will include a national overview covering:
- key developments
- linkages with non assistance activities
- coordination between regions and sectors
- impact of the common programme on the achievement of sustainable peace
- current priorities
Regarding funding, it is envisaged that the Appeal will provide a more comprehensive overview and source of information than has thus far been possible. To that end, the Appeal will include the following information before setting out the summary of projects for which funding is being requested:
- funds provided in previous year by donors (including non-Appeal donations) to Afghanistan
- funds deployed by UN Agencies (including non Appeal)
- regional and sectoral breakdown of funding
- evidence of concrete Afghan participation
NB. These guidelines are to be reviewed with Heads of UN Agencies, NGOs and donors through the Afghanistan Task Force.
The 1998 Appeal represents a first attempt to incorporate this data. In the future, Appeals should reflect and be an outcome of work in progress - the development of a common programme. Development of the common programme will not be easy and will require experience and skills which are not necessarily currently available. And, it will take time.
5. Key Sectoral Analysis and Priority Needs
5.1 Food Security and Food Aid
Background/Current Situation
The FAO/WFP crop and food supply assistance mission to Afghanistan in July 1997 came up with a total cereal import gap of 710,000 metric tonnes for the 1997/98 market year, of which 560,000 tonnes are expected to be met by commercial imports and 150,000 tonnes from emergency food aid. Based on this finding, WFP will require 120,000 tonnes of food commodities valued at approximately US$ 55 million, with the understanding that other agencies will make up the balance. WFP’s requirement is currently fully pledged under its 1998 Protracted Refugee Operation. Therefore, neither food nor financial assistance is required by WFP through the 1998 Consolidated Appeal. FAO’s programme of sustainable food security, however, seeks US$ 14.3 million through this Appeal.
Cereal import gap in Afghanistan
Indicators
|
Figures (MTs)
|
Total cereal import gap for 1997/98
|
710,000
|
Amount expected to be met by commercial imports
|
560,000
|
Amount expected to be provided by other emergency food aid suppliers
|
30,000
|
Amount required by WFP (already covered for 1998)
|
120,000
|
Figures provided by FAO/WFP
Review of Programmes and Activities in 1997
In 1997, over 1.14 million Afghans in 23 provinces benefitted from WFP’s relief and life-sustaining rehabilitation assistance. Approximately 100,000 tonnes of food commodities were distributed through WFP’s 1997 Protracted Refugee Operation (PRO). The revised target for the programme was 120,000 tonnes, but the shortfall of some 20,000 metric tonnes was due primarily to limited programming through the Mazar sub-office as a result of recurrent instability in the Northern region, as well as access problems to Bamyan province.
The beneficiaries of this programme included widows and orphans without outside support, women, children (especially malnourished children,) hospital in-patients, TB and leprosy patients, victims of natural disasters, returnees, internally displaced persons, the disabled and elderly lacking external support, the urban poor and the unemployed.
Over 70 per cent of food commodities distributed in 1997 were provided through the subsidized bread sales project (urban bakeries) in Kabul, Mazar, Jalalabad, Kandahar, and Faizabad; institutional feeding; relief assistance of internally displaced persons; repatriation assistance to Afghan refugees returning from Pakistan; and emergency assistance to victims of natural disasters. The urban bakery project benefitted over 800,000 Afghans during the winter and in lean periods. This project provided life-sustaining food to the poorest and most vulnerable groups in urban areas; supported price stabilization of wheat during the project’s implementation; benefitted a wide spectrum of the urban population by reducing pressure on the limited wheat market, and generated local resources for reinvestment in productive activities - all beneficiaries are expected to pay for the bread at subsidized prices.
Almost 30 per cent of the food distributed in 1997 supported life-sustaining rehabilitation activities through food-for-work, food-for-training, and food-for-seed (in partnership with FAO). These projects provided employment opportunities for over 10,000 Afghans on a daily basis in 23 provinces of Afghanistan.
Food Security and Women
Of the total food assistance beneficiary coverage of over 1.14 million individuals in 1997, approximately 53 per cent of the direct beneficiaries of food assistance were female. In 1997, WFP attempted to expand its coverage of women in several ways. At peak times during the year, bakery projects provided subsidized bread to close to 800,000 of the urban poor, over half of whom were female. In addition, in Kabul, WFP set up special widows’ bakeries operated by and for widows. These provided employment to over 250 women while feeding well over 40,000 members of widow families. WFP also supported numerous feeding programmes in hospitals, institutions, and MCH programmes, which were increased to reach the poorest women and children.
WFP’s food-for-training programmes directly benefited women by providing food aid while they learned skills relevant to economic production such as weaving, embroidery, poultry-raising or health care. These programmes benefitted over 8,900 women. WFP also contributed to the employment of women in Afghanistan. Afghan women have worked as bakers, vocational skills trainees/trainers, and members of monitoring/beneficiary identification teams in Kabul, Jalalabad, and Kandahar.
Key achievements in food assistance during 1997
- 1.14 million beneficiaries were provided food assistance
- 793,000 women and children from the most vulnerable families living in severe poverty were provided bread at a highly subsidized price throughout the year
- Employment opportunities were created through food-for-work projects with 24,374 persons being employed during the year. The labourers employed were provided daily wages deemed adequate to meet the requirements of the entire family
- In the besieged province of Bamyan, 132,000 men, women, and children were provided food rations during the severe winter period. About 5,700 tonnes of food commodities were made available to people at risk
- In collaboration with FAO, 4,786 farmers were supported by exchanging high-yield variety seeds against wheat provided by WFP
- 33 projects targetting women were assisted during the year and 1,650 women from the poorest families were trained in different skills and brought into the mainstream income generation programme
Prospects/Priorities for 1998
The objectives of WFP’s 1998 programme are humanitarian relief and support for life sustaining rehabilitation assistance to benefit approximately 1.5 million Afghans in 23 provinces. These will include widows and orphans without outside support; women and children (especially malnourished children); hospital in-patients; victims of natural disasters; returnees; internally displaced persons; the disabled and elderly without outside support; and men, women, and youths from poor homes in rural and urban areas.
Relief assistance will be distributed through subsidised bread sales (urban bakery projects), institutional feeding, relief assistance to internally displaced persons, emergency feeding of victims of natural disasters and repatriation assistance to returning Afghan refugees.
Life-sustaining rehabilitation assistance will focus on food-for-work, food-for-training and food-for-seed in partnership with FAO. Food-for-work activities will include: rehabilitation of health clinics and schools where women and men have equal access; rehabilitation of drinking water sources; urban and rural sanitation; the mine action programme; flood control in disaster-prone areas; shelter reconstruction assistance for victims of conflicts; and the repair of basic services in war-affected areas. Food-for-training projects will include vocational training and income-generating projects in marketable skills.
In close collaboration with sister UN Agencies, international NGOs and relevant national NGOs, the 1998 food aid programme will focus on improving the quality of relief and life-sustaining rehabilitation projects; better targetting of food assistance through household food security studies and vulnerability mapping; ensuring gender equity and women’s participation in WFP-assisted projects; analysis of the impact of WFP’s assistance on women, men, girls and boys; and effective pre-assessment, appraisal and monitoring of all WFP assisted projects.
Optimal collaboration with sister UN Agencies and international NGOs in food aid activities will be pursued in 1998. Approximately 30 per cent of total resources available will be programmed in partnership with sister UN Agencies.
5.2 Voluntary Repatriation
Background/Current Situation
Since the transfer of power in Kabul in April, 1992, a total of 3.9 million refugees, the largest known repatriation, have returned to Afghanistan from neighbouring countries. Following the peak year of return in 1992, repatriation levels have decreased gradually to some 86,000 returnees during 1997.
While voluntary repatriation has continued to relatively peaceful areas of the country, periodic outbreaks of hostility have resulted in renewed population displacements, both internal and cross-border into Pakistan and Iran. While Afghan repatriation is so far the largest repatriation, Afghans have the unfortunate distinction of remaining UNHCR’s largest single refugee caseload in the world for the seventeenth year in succession. Currently 1.2 million Afghan refugees remain in Pakistan and around 1.4 million in Iran.
Key Figures on Afghan Refugees
Indicators
|
Figures
|
Number of Afghan refugees who have returned from neighbouring countries since 1992
|
3.9 million persons
|
Number of returnees in 1997
|
86,000 persons
|
Number of Afghan refugees in Pakistan
|
1.2 million persons
|
Number of Afghan refugees in Iran
|
1.4 million persons
|
Figures provided by UNHCR
Review of Programmes and Activities in 1997
Voluntary repatriation to Afghanistan during 1997 was at a lower level than anticipated with only some 86,000 returnees observed at border crossing points up to the end of December. UNHCR offices throughout the region introduced an integrated approached that linked assistance to communities in Afghanistan with obstacles identified by refugees in neighbouring countries.
Working closely with potential returnees and authorities in both the countries of origin and asylum, UNHCR initiated projects to remove impediments and support the reintegration of returnees. More than 300 small-scale QIPs (Quick Impact Projects) and seven large-scale regional projects concentrated on the provision of safe drinking water; improvement of irrigation systems; reconstruction of homes; creation of income opportunities; repair of roads; and rehabilitation of health and education facilities.
Programmes which targetted assistance to women received particular attention and included skills training activities, income-generation projects and micro-credit group-guaranteed loans for poor women and female-headed households. Workshops on People Oriented Planning were held for UN and NGO staff in Afghanistan to promote the increased participation of women in all relevant aspects of the programme. Dialogue has been maintained with local authorities with a view to promote the rights of returnees, and to achieve positive improvements in education and employment opportunities for women.
Repatriation and rehabilitation projects have been implemented either directly by UNHCR or in partnership with local authorities and contractors, local and international NGOs, and specialised Agencies of the United Nations. These included, among others, WHO, FAO, International Organisation for Migration (IOM), Save the Children, Danish Committee for Aid to Afghan Refugees (DACAAR), International Rescue Committee (IRC), Solidarite Afghanistan, MEDAIR, the Ministries of Repatriation and Rural Works, and the Afghan Construction and Logistics Unit (ACLU).
Prospects/Priorities for 1998
The recent increase in population displacements and the prospect of continued conflict for the immediate future have led UNHCR to carefully re-examine the current programme of assistance for repatriation. Security concerns and the lack of economic opportunities combined with the introduction of restrictive social measures by the Taliban since their take-over of Kabul in September 1996 will continue to impact the rate of return and the ability of UNHCR to deliver assistance.
-Nonetheless, UNHCR remains active in assisting voluntary repatriation, while, in concert with other UN Agencies in Afghanistan, is working to improve living conditions to attract refugees and make return more viable. Voluntary repatriation assistance is thus provided in two ways: through the provision of repatriation grant packages and transport assistance in Pakistan and Iran; and by helping communities to which refugees return with shelter, potable water, agriculture, road repair, health, sanitation, and small business start-up projects. In many cases UNHCR has also been providing assistance to IDPs as required and as appropriate.
In Afghanistan, returnees continue to confront the consequences of more than 18 years of war compounded by rampant inflation, widespread unemployment and increasing levels of impoverishment amid the total absence of any social services. The provision of assistance to returnee communities in Afghanistan is both essential and well-founded, based on certain undeniable principles: by facilitating reintegration and mitigating economic hardship, the prospects for future displacement are reduced; by maintaining a presence in returnee areas, protection issues can be addressed and the consequences of return monitored.
5.3 Primary Health Care
Background/Current Situation
The health situation in Afghanistan is in a grievous state. Nearly two decades of war, under-investment, neglect and destruction of health facilities, and brain drain of qualified health workers have severely affected the health status of the population. Priority health problems include childhood communicable diseases, malnutrition, trauma, malaria, tuberculosis, polio, and pregnancy-related and child bearing illnesses.
The recently established regionalized management of emergency health and primary health care provides a unique opportunity to address the priority health problems in the region with the participation of the communities and their shuras. The implementation of 1998 Appeal activities will draw on the capacity of the health management teams and the health facilities in each region with the support of WHO, UNICEF, and NGOs.
Communicable diseases such as malaria, tuberculosis, diarrhoeal diseases, and acute respiratory infections are the leading causes of death in Afghanistan. According to the epidemiological data available to WHO, 75 per cent of the total 89,000-133,000 active TB cases are reported among the young adults and 70 per cent among female patients. Acute respiratory infections (ARI) constitute a major cause of morbidity and mortality among children under five: with approximately 25 per cent of children under five believed to die annually from ARI.
Among the estimated 3 million annual malaria cases in Afghanistan, pregnant women and children under five are the two groups at highest risk. Malaria contributes to a significant number of deaths, miscarriage, anaemia, low birth-weight and still births. In addition, cutaneous leishmaniasis has become a serious health problem in the central region of Afghanistan.
It was estimated in 1990 that the access to safe water was 20 per cent and adequate excreta disposal facilities only 0.03 per cent. Since then, conditions have deteriorated and the sanitation sector has been neglected. As a consequence of poor sanitary conditions, it is estimated that 42 per cent of all deaths in Afghanistan are due to diarrhoeal diseases and that 85,000 children under five die annually from diarrhoeal diseases.
In Afghanistan, the maternal mortality rate is estimated to be 1,700 per 100,000 live births -the second highest in the world. 165 infants die out of every 1,000 born, and 257 out of every 1,000 children die before they reach the age of five. Due to shortage of health personnel and inadequate health care services throughout the country, only 10 per cent of mothers receive maternal care and less than 6 per cent of deliveries are attended by trained birth attendants.
Selected Figures on the Health Situation in Afghanistan
Indicators
|
Figures
|
Health care systems dependent on external assistance*
|
70% of the health care system
|
People receiving treatment of common diseases and injuries*
|
26% of the total population
|
Crude death rate*
|
28 per 1000
|
Total fertility rate*
|
6.9 per woman
|
Number of people killed by tuberculosis every year*
|
12,000 persons
|
Deaths due to diarrhoeal diseases**
|
42%
|
* Figures from a December/1996 WHO Report, "Hope"
** Figures provided by UNICEF
Poliomyelitis is endemic in Afghanistan and the neighbouring countries are threatened by the circulation of polio virus from Afghanistan. To achieve the goals of the global polio eradication initiative, concerted efforts have been made in Afghanistan since 1994 through national immunisation campaigns.
Review of Programmes and Activities in 1997
UNICEF and WHO have worked closely with the Ministry of Public Health in various parts of Afghanistan, supporting mass immunisations, particularly for the eradication of polio. Since 1994, seven rounds of National Immunisation Days (NIDs) have been organised by UNICEF, WHO and other aid agencies. In April and May 1997, over 80 per cent of children under five years of age were immunised against polio. The programme not only leads to the eradication of polio, but also supports infrastructures and capacities for controlling measles and eliminating neo-natal tetanus, two other deadly childhood diseases.
WHO, UNICEF, and medical NGOs have been active in training health personnel throughout the country on how to combat diarrhoeal and other preventable diseases. UNICEF, WHO, and medical NGOs have also promoted the Safe Motherhood approach and have supported the training of traditional birth attendants (TBAs).
The provision of safe drinking water and proper sanitation systems is one of the main steps in helping control the spread of water-borne diseases. UNICEF, WHO and DACAAR have taken an active role in increasing the population’s access to safe water and sanitation, and UNCHS has been active in urban waste disposal. In addition, UNICEF, WHO, DACAAR and other agencies have managed an Oral Rehydration Therapy (ORT), sanitation and hygiene campaign.
Prospects/Priorities for 1998
I. Control of priority communicable diseases, i.e. tuberculosis, acute respiratory infections, diarrhoeal diseases, malaria, and leishmaniasis.
- Introducing and improving preventive measures to control communicable diseases
- Training health personnel on prevention, control and management of communicable diseases
- Establishing and strengthening diagnostic and curative health care facilities in order to handle communicable diseases
- Provision of diagnostic and medical equipment and supplies
- Establishing a disease surveillance system for the early diagnosis and preparing health personnel for epidemic outbreaks
- Improving community awareness and health education.
II. Promotion of safe motherhood
- Apply the WHO Safe Motherhood and Mother Baby Package interventions
- Strengthen existing maternal child health care (MCH) facilities both at primary health- care (PHC) and referral centres to ensure that quality maternal health care services are available
- Coordinate and integrate MCH activities with extended programmes of immunisation (EPI), control of diarrhoeal diseases (CDD) and other components of primary health care
- Improve community participation in MCH programmes and promote the public awareness of reproductive health care.
III. Eradication of polio in Afghanistan
- Achieve and maintain a high routine vaccination against polio using oral polio vaccines (OPV)
- Conduct two rounds of national immunisation campaigns each year in 1998 and 1999
- Establish a surveillance system for acute flaccid paralysis (AFP) and detection of wild polio virus.
IV. Promotion of environmental health
- Rehabilitate the water supply and drainage systems in provincial capitals and to carry out necessary measures to prevent water pollution in rural areas
- Promote and support building of family ventilated improved pit (VIP) latrines
- Strengthen institutional capacity and reactivate the water and sewage authorities to promote self reliance
- Development of the human resources in the field of environmental health
- Carry out epidemiological surveys and suggest control measures for communicable diseases
- Impart lessons on hygienic practices and promote public awareness of sanitary living conditions and personal hygiene.
Implementation strategies
- Health programmes will be implemented by WHO in coordination with the MOPH and other UN Agencies and NGOs through the WHO offices in different regions of Afghanistan.
- Strengthen the existing health infrastructure to be able to provide quality health care services to the entire Afghan population.
- Increase the general coverage of the population as a whole and groups at special risk of communicable diseases, in particular women and children, with adequate diagnostic and curative services.
- Upgrade the knowledge and skills of health care personnel with the aim of improving self reliance and discouraging long-term dependence on international humanitarian aid, not only in health care services, but also in health management, planning, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of health and public health programmes.
- Ensure that the WHO guidelines for management of communicable diseases are applied in the prevention and control of communicable diseases.
- Promote community participation in health education, prevention and control of communicable diseases, and water and sanitation programmes.
5.4 Rural and Urban Rehabilitation
Background/Current Situation
Begun in May 1997, UNDP’s Poverty Eradication and Community Empowerment (P.E.A.C.E.) initiative is a multi-year integrated development programme for Afghanistan funded for an initial two-year period with $34 million UNDP core funds. The overall development objective of the P.E.A.C.E. initiative is to contribute to the restoration of peace in Afghanistan through poverty alleviation, good governance building and community empowerment in both rural and urban areas. This programme is being constantly refined. It is conducted with and implemented by FAO, UNCHS (Habitat) and UNOPS.
In addition, numerous NGOs are active in promoting rural and urban rehabilitation, including ADA, CARE, DACAAR, IRC, MADERA, OXFAM, and Solidarite among others. While precise figures are unavailable, it is estimated that roughly US$ 15 million has been committed collectively by these NGOs to rural rehabilitation alone.
Review of Programmes and Activities in 1997
In line with the Assistance Strategy for Afghanistan, the P.E.A.C.E. initiative is being implemented during this period of transition by gradually pooling existing projects into a common programme, ensuring that opportunities for linking the various projects are fully exploited by concentrating most programme-related activities in approximately 23 rural districts and six urban centres. Project interventions during 1997 included:
FAO Crops: food security through sustainable crop production by assisting with seed supply, pest control, irrigation facilities, soil fertility, and income generation
FAO Livestock: livestock development for food security through training of veterinary staff, establishment of micro-credit schemes for target groups, demonstration of improved fodder production and nutrition packages, support of animal feed and supplement manufacture, development of poultry breeding and rearing units
UNCHS/Habitat: rebuilding communities in urban Afghanistan through the promotion of local and community structures and support groups, basic urban services including water supply, sanitation and shelter, employment generation, and energy production
UNOPS: strengthening community self-help capacities in rural Afghanistan through credit and employment support, skills development, improved water supply and irrigation, energy development, and rural access roads
UNOPS/CDAP: the Comprehensive Disabled Afghans’ Programme helping establish a network of trained field workers and a system for specialised services in rehabilitation; mobilise local communities; enhance awareness of the needs of disabled people; and strengthen organisational capacity.
The programme seeks to strengthen grass-roots community cohesion, self-reliance, and self-help capacities, as well as local governance. In doing so, it aims to promote and facilitate direct participation of women in decision-making and implementation processes. This require an emphasis on improving equitable and sustainable access to productive and social assets and services to both women and men, through small-scale, high-impact interventions at the grass-roots level.
Prospects/Priorities for 1998
In order to meet the objectives set through the Strategic Framework process, during its first phase, there is need for an extension of the P.E.A.C.E. initiative in order to prepare the ground for the second phase and the implementation of the common programme. In doing so, the geographical coverage of the initiative as well as its thematic approaches will evolve. In this context, closer cooperation is planned with sister UN Agencies, notably UNDCP and UNHCR as well as NGOs.
5.5 Mine Action
Background/Current Situation
Afghanistan is one of the countries most severely affected by landmines in the world. As of November 1997, the current known area still contaminated by landmines is 725 square kilometres. Much of this is land which could otherwise be used for productive economic and social purposes such as irrigation, farming, grazing, transport and residential/commercial uses.
Area affected by mines in Afghanistan
Indicators
|
Figures
|
Total high priority contaminated area remaining
|
323.7 sq km
|
- residential
|
11.1 sq km
|
- agricultural
|
144.3 sq km
|
- irrigation
|
2.5 sq km
|
- roads
|
36.0 sq km
|
- grazing land
|
129.8 sq km
|
Total low priority contaminated area remaining
|
401.3 sq km
|
Total contaminated area remaining
|
725.0 sq km
|
Figures from "WORKPLAN 1997" published by UNOCHA/MAPA
While overall national figures on the rate of landmine-related injuries, disabilities and deaths are not known, the data that are available paint a grim picture. Extrapolation from that data indicates that more than ten people are killed or injured by mines and unexploded bombs everyday.
A December 1996 WHO report, titled Hope, indicated that the level of hospital admissions due to landmine-related injuries in some regions was around 22 per cent, while the amount of hospital resources used to treat landmine related injuries in some provinces was of the order of 35 per cent.
Clearing mines and unexploded ordnance is a priority in order to rebuild Afghanistan. The presence of mines and unexploded bombs affects the delivery of humanitarian aid and hinders the process of urban and rural rehabilitation and development. Mine awareness training for women, men, and children is an integral component of addressing the crisis of landmines and unexploded ordnance, helping communities live with the threat they present.
Each accident occurring to deminers is investigated by the Programme to determine causes and reasons and to seek to continue to improve safety. Without the dedication of brave Afghans and the painstaking and dangerous task of clearing their own country of the curse of explosive devices, the Programme would be unable to function. Deminers injured or killed in the course of their work are honored by the Programme. They and their families are also covered by a comprehensive group insurance scheme.
Unfortunately, mine clearance activities claim a still far too large number of casualties. However, experience, new technologies and renewed training efforts should ensure a systematic reduction in the years to come.
The mission of the UNOCHA Mine Action Programme for Afghanistan (MAPA) is to make Afghanistan safe from the threat of mines and explosive devices through threat-avoidance education, threat elimination, and threat prevention.
The annual clearance rate of mined areas has improved by more than five times since the programme began. The cost of clearing a square metre has declined from US$ 1.68 in 1993 to less than 60 cents in 1997.
Review of Programmes and Activities in 1997
During 1997, UNOCHA’s MAPA continued to focus on opportunities to improve efficiency and effectiveness and the quality of the Programme’s impact in Afghanistan. For the first time in the history of the programme, its implementing partners have achieved all targets set for the year. These targets were achieved through contributions worth some US$ 18 million. The following list summarizes the major achievements for 1997:
- more than 800,000 people received mine awareness training
- training and deployment of an additional five Mine Dog Groups (MDG) was completed in May 1997. The number of deminers in each MDG was increased from eight to twelve
- expansion of mechanical mine clearance technique (excavator/backhoe) teams to increase production and improve safety
- the survey capacity was expanded from 20 to 27 teams
- the survey process using mine dog sets (MDS) was improved
- more at-risk communities were reached through the expansion of mine committees
- an evaluation of the mine awareness activities was completed which will be used for future planning and guidance.
UNOCHA’s Mine Action Programme faced a funding crisis during the second half of 1997, and therefore an immediate appeal was issued for funding to continue planned activities for the year. Fortunately, the response was positive and several countries provided the additional funds required. During 1997, the programme cleared 30 sqkm of mined areas and 47 sqkm of former battle areas.
Prospects/Priorities for 1998
The Mine Action priorities for 1998 include: continue the current projects and maintain the same level of staffing and extent of the operations; evaluate the impact of the mine clearance operations; expand the mine dog capacity; expand the mechanical excavation (backhoe) and survey teams. The targets for 1998 are: train 1.1 million people in mine awareness; train 3,000 staff in mine clearance techniques; survey 32.5 sqkm of mined area and 25.5 sqkm of former battle area; and clear 38.0 sqkm of mined area and 31.5 of former battle area.
5.6 Drug Control
Background/Current Situation
Favorable climatic conditions and improved cultivation methods led to an estimated 25 per cent yield increase in opium poppy production over the 1996/97 season, making Afghanistan the largest producer in the world.
Illicit opium production and trafficking is increasingly distorting the local economy, further undermining the chances for good governance and contributing to continuous instability. Consumption of heroin increased in the region and demand for heroin in Europe, (80 per cent of which is met with opium poppy from Afghanistan), remains high.
Figures related to Poppy Production in Afghanistan
Indicators
|
Figures
|
Increase in poppy production over the 1996/97 season
|
25%
|
Estimated number of farmers cultivating poppy
|
200,000 farmers
|
Amount of land used for poppy production
|
58,400 hectares
|
Total production of dry opium
|
2,800 metric tonnes
|
Figures based on a UNDCP report issued in September 1997
Review of Programmes and Activities in 1997
UNDCP started implementing a new four-year Afghanistan Drug Control programme in 1997. This is initially composed of four modules: capacity building for drug control, drug control monitoring, poppy crop reduction, and demand reduction. A law enforcement module will be added to the programme once the necessary conditions exist. The budget of the four-year programme is US$ 16.4 million.
The poppy crop reduction module represents the most crucial component of the programme and will create new sustainable livelihoods for farmers currently engaged in opium poppy cultivation through alternative development activities. UNDCP has chosen a ‘positive conditionality’ approach whereby the communities, districts, and provincial authorities agree to a progressive implementation of a poppy ban in target areas in exchange for a package of development assistance. The package of assistance is agreed to as a result of a participatory planning process, allowing beneficiaries to define their priorities.
During 1997, UNDCP started work in three districts in Kandahar Province (Maiwand, Ghora, and Khakrez) and in one district in Nangarhar Province (Shinwar). The participatory planning exercise, including community organisation and the drafting of village plans, was implemented by three NGOs and the Nangarhar Drug Control and Coordination Unit under supervision of UNDCP. Farmers’ priorities are rehabilitation of irrigation schemes and agricultural extension, while rehabilitation of infrastructure and development of enterprises are priorities mentioned at district and provincial level.
A Drug Control Action Plan for Shinwar District was signed by the representatives of the beneficiaries and the authorities concerned in November 1997. The plan foresees a wide range of alternative development activities in the fields of agriculture, irrigation and education. In exchange for this development package, the communities and authorities committed themselves to progressively eliminate opium poppy cultivation in Shinwar district by the year 2000.
Comparison of opium and wheat income by region
Province
|
Opium
|
Wheat
|
Income/hectare ($)
|
Income/hectare ($)
|
|
Badakhshan
|
806
|
448
|
Balkh
|
946
|
630
|
Farah
|
1,153
|
455
|
Helmand
|
1,109
|
495
|
Kunar
|
511
|
696
|
Nangahar
|
1,197
|
672
|
Nimroz
|
1,213
|
520
|
Kandahar
|
1,218
|
495
|
Uruzgan
|
1,242
|
585
|
Zabul
|
913
|
585
|
Figures based on "Afghanistan Opium Poppy Survey 1996" by UNDCP
Prospects/Priorities for 1998
The priorities for 1998 will encompass the finalisation of Drug Control Action Plans for Kandahar Province and the delivery of development assistance as outlined in the plans. At the provincial level, this will include the repair of an electric power substation and the rehabilitation of a wool-factory in Kandahar. A number of empirical studies are scheduled for 1998 to get a better understanding of drug control related problems in Afghanistan.
The commitments of the Taliban to progressively reduce poppy cultivation in target areas and to eradicate new poppy cultivation (in areas where no poppy was grown in 1997) will need to be tested during the year. In 1998, UNDCP also aims to expand its poppy crop reduction programme into Helmand and Badakhshan provinces. Following detailed assessments, initial activities are scheduled to start in both provinces during the second half of the year.
The Norwegian Church Aid’s (NCA) partner organisation, Afghan Development Organisation (ADA), has found, through a study related to its horticulture programme in Kandahar, that there are indications that a programme could be developed which makes orchards more economically viable for farmers than opium cultivation.
6. National and Regional Overviews and Priorities
6.1 National/Multi-Regional Overview
NATIONAL/MULTI-REGIONAL
As the fighting in Afghanistan continues into its 19th year, so too continues the steady decline in living conditions for much of Afghanistan’s population. Millions face humanitarian crises due to inadequate diets, lack of basic primary health care, contaminated water supply, the threat of landmines, and communicable diseases. The national economy is anaemic and illiteracy the norm, especially for girls and women.
The international assistance community is addressing the wide range of needs facing Afghanistan, both the immediate relief requirements and the longer-term rehabilitation needs. Many of the activities are national in scope, as described above, which address cross-cutting issues such as drug control, mine action, and repatriation. Agencies have submitted numerous project proposals to address these national concerns.
The chart below presents an overview of the funding requirements by sector for these national activities. Project summaries for both national and regionally-specific project proposals are provided in the next chapter, with individual proposals compiled in an accompanying compendium.
Sector of Activities
|
Appeal Requirements (US$)
|
National/Multi-Regional
- Agriculture - Coordination - Education - Health - Income Generation and Training - Mine Action Programme - Relief and Food Aid - Rural and Urban Rehabilitation - Voluntary Repatriation |
.
10,125,597 6,967,975 3,916,000 7,161,222 1,108,777 23,500,000 200,000 15,945,205 22,232,540 |
Total:
|
90,157,316
|
6.2 Priority Requirements by Region
CENTRAL REGION
The inhabitants of Kabul, Parwan, Kapisa, Wardak, and Logar provinces continue to face immense hardship as a direct result of the continuing conflict. While the attention of the international community has centred on the city of Kabul, the livelihoods of the bulk of the rural population in the region are also precarious. Large parts of Parwan and Kapisa, which is an important source of food in the region, were effectively de-populated by fighting during 1997. While there is evidence of significant return in some rural parts north of Kabul, agricultural activity continues to be adversely affected by the conflict in districts close to the city. The self-sufficiency of those rural communities who depend on fruit exports has been affected by limitation on transport of produce, particularly the once-rich Shamali basin.
On the other hand, improved security on the Jalalabad-Kabul route has allowed essential supplies from Pakistan to reach Kabul and surrounding districts. Few urban residents, however, have the means to purchase more than the absolute basic commodities for survival. It is estimated that almost half of the urban population now benefit directly and indirectly from externally-funded humanitarian assistance programmes in the city of Kabul alone. Activities range from vulnerable group feeding, bakeries, food-for-work, cash-for-work, income-generation initiatives, non-food relief distribution (fuel and domestic supplies) and direct employment.
As in previous years, the city population has been swelled by those displaced from areas affected by conflict, particularly Parwan, Kapisa, and Wardak. Urban communities that have traditionally depended on the sale or exchange of produce from adjacent rural areas have faced additional hardship. Recent surveys indicate that while there is not widespread malnutrition in Kabul, the nutritional status of children is a cause of great concern. The status of families in war-affected rural areas is likely to be equally fragile.
Inflation has continued to erode the incomes of those who are lucky enough to have employment in the formal or informal sector. While several programmes aim to lessen the impact of widespread unemployment in Kabul and elsewhere, there seems to be little hope of sustaining livelihoods of the urban population without significant investment in labour-intensive infrastructure.
Sector of Activities
|
Appeal Requirements (US$)
|
Central Region
- Agriculture - Education - Health - Income Generation and Training - Mine Action Programme - Relief and Food Aid - Rural and Urban Rehabilitation - Water and Sanitation |
.
4,173,830 1,300,170 3,156,275 1,108,960 485,000 2,024,000 10,897,130 6,190,219 |
Total:
|
29,335,584
|
Access of the urban population to basic public services continues to be restricted, by legislation and limited resources. Moves to restrict the provision of common health services to women and children has resulted in the disruption of essential facilities in the city. Efforts are under way to find ways to ensure adequate access to services of an agreed quality, within the limits laid down by official policy on segregation. It is hoped that this process will facilitate the work of staff working in both urban and rural areas.
In the formal education sector, women and girls are still forbidden by official decree to go to school and receive training. Some urban communities have taken the initiative to organise informal education for children. Those boys who are able to attend formal schools or participate in training, generally have very limited opportunities.
The relative degree of peace and security that has prevailed in parts of the region has resulted in increased small-scale rehabilitation activity, both externally-funded and indigenous. The extent of private investment in urban areas is, on the whole, limited to household or community activities. To support this, work has continued on the restoration of essential services to key health facilities and on a range of externally funded initiatives to improve basic urban services, and strengthen the capacities of technical departments to manage community-based rehabilitation work. Evidence from previous years suggests that selected investments in rural infrastructure and agricultural services directly enhances the abilities of communities to sustain themselves, despite the impact that the ongoing conflict has on the economy as a whole. The peaceful areas of the Central Region have continued to be a priority focus for mine action activities.
EASTERN REGION
The Eastern Region consists of the provinces of Nangarhar, Laghman, Kunar, Paktika, Paktia, and Khost, as well as Nuristan. There is a large difference in the overall situation between the provinces, as well as within the provinces themselves.
The Eastern Region received a great deal of development and humanitarian assistance in the past, especially Nangarhar and Laghman. For example, more than 66 per cent of the known high-priority mine-contaminated area in Nangarhar has been cleared. As a result, both these provinces have relatively well developed infrastructures, education and health facilities and are active in trade. Nangarhar benefits from the trade highway from Iran to Pakistan which cuts across Jalalabad, the capital of Nangarhar, and its close proximity to Peshawar, Pakistan.
These aspects make the Nangarhar and Laghman provinces more prepared for programmes related to income generation, small business development and private agriculture development. The other areas, Paktika, Paktia, Khost, and Nuristan, have received little assistance due to their difficult accessibility and occasional unrest. These more remote areas are almost exclusively dependent on inefficient agriculture and have little access to markets. They are economically depressed and in urgent need of development and restructuring.
Sector of Activities
|
Appeal Requirements (US$)
|
Eastern Region
- Agriculture - Education - Health - Income Generation and Training - Relief and Food Aid - Rural and Urban Rehabilitation - Voluntary Repatriation - Water and Sanitation |
.
4,504,180 861,000 2,733,720 1,396,640 776,300 3,831,697 1,127,000 2,068,375 |
Total:
|
17,298,912
|
The Eastern Region is marked by a high level of poppy farming, mostly in Nangarhar province. One challenge for the aid community is to find a suitable income generation substitute for the poppies, consolidate communities around the need to reduce poppy growing, and implement incentive and development programmes which lead to the reduction of poppy farming.
n addition, many villages in the Eastern Region are home to large numbers of returning refugees. Sustainable repatriation programmes which promote development and sustainable livelihoods in these districts will be a key objective for development programmes in 1998 and beyond.
Given the large amount of assistance to the Eastern Region in the past, the region lends itself to an analysis of the factors influencing the success of sustainable programmes and sustainable development within Afghanistan. More energy needs to go into programme design and implementation to ensure the sustainability of existing and planned educational, health and infrastructure projects.
WESTERN REGION
The Western Region is very diverse, ranging from the deserts of Farah and the steppes of Badghis to the high plateau of Ghor. While the Hari Rud valley of Herat has vast agricultural potential, other areas are marginal at best. However, with sufficient inputs, and proper coordination of activities, substantial progress is possible in most sectors.
There are currently over 40,000 IDPs in Herat City. Most have expressed a desire to return to their places of origin in Badghis in the spring. Such a returnee movement, however, would require a massive effort by the Mine Action Programme to map and clear the affected areas in a short time, and for international agencies to assist with rebuilding damaged infrastructures and providing agricultural inputs.
Roughly 1.4 million Afghan refugees remain in Iran, and these are not returning at present. When the situation changes, the aid community must be prepared to cope with a large influx of returnees. It will be necessary to provide assistance for the returning refugees to go back to their places of origin and help with the reconstruction of housing and rebuilding damaged infrastructures.
While most of the Western Region does not face any food insecurity, a recent WFP mission to Ghor reported that certain places may face shortages in the spring. Due to the inaccessibility of this area during the winter, it will be March at the earliest when follow-up action could take place.
Sector of Activities
|
Appeal Requirements (US$)
|
Western Region
- Agriculture - Education - Health - Income Generation and Training - Rural and Urban Rehabilitation - Water and Sanitation |
.
332,350 23,795 1,077,860 59,640 1,676,000 1,436,275 |
Total:
|
4,605,920
|
Much of the region’s infrastructure is damaged, either from the war or as a result of years of neglect. One problem is spring flooding, which results in the loss of productive land, as well as housing. DACAAR is trying to address the situation, but much greater efforts will be necessary. In addition, irrigation systems need repair and roads require up-grading in order to realize the area’s agricultural potential.
While many agencies are working in the health sector, the Western Region is vastly under served both in terms of available health care facilities and trained health personnel. This is especially true in rural areas and isolated locations such as Ghor. The MOPH is well organized and accessible, but increased effort is necessary to provide the most basic health care to the whole of this region.
The whole region is in desperate need of an economic boost. Rehabilitation, for example, of the electric system, would result in resumption of industries such as textiles and cement manufacture, providing jobs and injecting new life into the economy.
NORTHERN REGION
The Northern Region includes the provinces of Badakhshan, Baghlan, Bamyan, Balkh, Faryab, Jowzjan, Saripul, Kunduz, Smangan, and Takhar. Mazar-I-Sharif is the most important city. Great disparities exist between these provinces: in particular, the isolated and chronic food deficit provinces of Badakhshan and Bamyan require particular attention.
The Northern Region experienced dramatic military and economic events throughout 1997 which heightened the misery of the general population and destroyed houses and basic infrastructures. Sadly, this was once one of the most advanced areas in the country, and a significant food producing region. In September, the deteriorating security situation led to the evacuation of 71 UN and non-UN staff and the looting of UN and NGO offices. Much of this region remains off limits to the aid community as fighting and instability continues. Following numerous security assessment missions in January, a phased return of international UN officers and resumption of activities is envisaged in the first quarter of 1998.
The northern provinces of Baghlan, Balkh, Kunduz, Samangan, and Takhar, traditionally known as the food basket of Afghanistan, have been badly affected by the continued fighting. The destruction of basic infrastructure caused a sharp decline in food production and contributed to economic crisis in the whole region. Rehabilitation of essential infrastructures such as irrigation systems, agricultural lands, orchards and livestock production is therefore urgently required.
The isolated province of Badakhshan with its estimated population of 500,000, is one of the most deprived areas. It depends on food grown in Kunduz, Takhar, and Baghlan provinces, and the only road which links Badakhshan with other provinces has remained closed for most of the year due to fighting. This led to a dramatic increase in the prices of essential items and severe food shortages, particularly in rural districts. In addition, Badakhshan is a disaster-prone area, especially during the spring months when heavy rain and melting snow cause floods and landslides. The needs of this province are enormous. Some of the most urgently required activities include food aid, support to health and nutrition, clean drinking water, agriculture inputs, and livestock improvement and education. Reduction of poppy growing and drug consumption are also among key issues to be addressed.
The region of Bamyan and its surrounding districts are also serious food deficit areas which have experienced extreme difficulties in 1997. Taliban forces made several attempts during the year to seize control of this area, closing access roads and restricting the movement of goods in and out of the region. In part because of this, but also due to an exceptionally poor harvest in some of the remotest areas, the economic situation deteriorated further here, causing severe food shortages. WFP estimated that almost 160,000 people were at risk during the winter months.
Sector of Activities
|
Appeal Requirements (US$)
|
Northern Region
- Agriculture - Education - Health - Income Generation and Training - Rural and Urban Rehabilitation - Water and Sanitation |
.
187,705 119,075 1,484,082 734,740 3,683,685 1,493,345 |
Total:
|
7,702,632
|
Following the instability in the northern provinces and the lack of security on the only roads that were not blocked, WFP started an airlift in December 1997 to deliver up to 2,500 tonnes of food to the region. In addition, WFP had also launched a campaign in October to purchase part of the surplus potato crop from local farmers to meet some of the urgent food needs in the region. By early January 1998, about 5,700 tonnes of potatoes had been purchased, transported, and distributed to 129,000 people of the most vulnerable 160,000 in five districts.
A number of international and national NGOs, and some UN Agencies have been providing assistance to the local population. As in Badakhshan, the needs here are enormous. Priority activities include emergency food aid, health care, water and sanitation, income generation, agriculture and livestock production, access to markets, and education.
Currently, the Northern Region is the only region where both boys and girls have largely equal access to education. Despite the ongoing fighting in some of the northern provinces and severe economic and transport problems, education institutions continue to function in most areas. The international community has not, however, responded with the required generosity to support the commitment of a population striving to provide education to all. School supplies, textbooks, basic infrastructure, and teacher training courses are needed to bring the quality of education to at least a minimum standard.
SOUTHERN REGION
The Southern Region consists of the provinces of Kandahar, Helmand, Nimroz, Uruzgan, Zabul, and Ghazni. Kandahar is the centre of the region and home to the headquarters of the Taliban movement. It is also the gateway to much of southern and western Afghanistan. The region has remained peaceful since the arrival of the Taliban in 1994 and thousands of refugees have returned to their places of origin with the help of UNHCR. However, large numbers of Afghan refugees from this region are still waiting to return from camps in Balochistan, Pakistan. Kandahar City, situated at the junction of the country's main highway and the trade route to Pakistan, has become the major trading centre. Local businesses have started to rebound and reconstruction, mainly using local private resources, has begun.
The region is diverse, ranging from arid deserts in Kandahar and Helmand to the mountainous heights of Uruzgan and Zabul. The southern part of Kandahar is largely unpopulated desert. The two rivers in Kandahar and Helmand provide water to most agricultural lands in these provinces. Zabul and Nimroz are the most remote and deprived areas and receive little international assistance.
Sector of Activities
|
Appeal Requirements (US$)
|
Southern Region
- Agriculture - Coordination - Education - Health - Income Generation and Training - Rural and Urban Rehabilitation - Water and Sanitation |
.
372,000 28,000 290,000 623,000 304,340 5,094,305 1,496,135 |
Total:
|
8,207,780
|
Mines continue to remain a serious problem, particularly in Kandahar and Helmand. Most homes, especially in Kandahar City and in some rural districts of Kandahar, have been destroyed or damaged over the war period. As a result, this region is a priority focus of mine action activities. In addition, the Southern Region is the major poppy growing area in Afghanistan, with the provinces of Helmand and Kandahar producing the largest amount of the total poppy grown in the country.
UN Agencies and NGOs have been providing rehabilitation and humanitarian assistance to the region. UNOCHA Mine Action teams carry out mine clearance tasks in high priority areas. The UNDP P.E.A.C.E. initiative, through UNOPS, FAO, and UNCHS projects, supports community based rehabilitation activities in five districts of Kandahar and in another five in Farah. UNICEF, WHO, and NGOs have been providing assistance in the sectors of health, water, and sanitation to reduce the spread of common diseases. UNHCR has been active through QIPs in assisting and promoting resettlement and returnee movements. WFP has further strengthened its presence here, and it is a key priority area for UNDCP.
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