Afghanistan Weekly Update No. 401

Pledges and Contributions
Muslim Aid (UK) in response to the displacement and refugee crises pledged =A371,000, through the Agency for Rehabilitation and Energy-conservation for Afghanistan (AREA) and Darul-Shifa Hospital. A total of =A3115,550 have been contributed in drought mitigation and social sector development programmes in Afghanistan since early 2000.

The Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC), Humanitarian Aid and SDR has pledged US$60,600 to support UNCHS emergency projects for internally displaced people (IDP) in Herat.

The governments of Norway and USA and the German National Committee have pledged US$650,000 for UNICEF, to cover the needs of almost 85,000 IDP children and women in Herat and Mazar. UNICEF has already spent US$500,000 on emergency support for displaced families in Herat, and US$800,000 in other regions from June 2000 to January 2001.

The government of Finland has also pledged US$464,000 for the emergency programme of UNHCR Afghanistan.

Emergency Donor Response

The Office of the UN Co-ordinator for Afghanistan acknowledges emergency contributions by various donors in response to urgent appeals on behalf of persons displaced by drought and conflict.

The US Office for Disaster Assistance (OFDA) airlifted the first consignment of non-food items, i.e. 250 large tents, 12,500 blankets, and 1,800 water containers to Herat on 10 February 2001. On 16 February, a second consignment of over 8,000 kilos of high protein biscuits, 360 tents and poles, tarps, 8,500 blankets and medical kits arrived in Herat.

Norway/OCHA also airlifted two consignments of over 20,000 quilted blankets, 24 large tents, 300 family tents, 300 wood heaters and spare parts for heaters. The value of the contribution amounted to US$483,000.

The UN has asked donors for more short-term additional emergency support for the newly displaced as well as increased and faster contributions to the United Nations Afghanistan Appeal. Of special importance is funding for emergency food security programmes to prevent displacement and emergencies from developing in the first place.

Human Rights

Last week, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights called for an international investigation into massacres and other abuses committed by warring parties in Afghanistan, including the reported summary execution of over 100 civilians in Bamiyan Province.

It has been reported that a number of aid workers, including a UN staff member, were among those killed in the massacres last month.

The High Commissioner urged all parties in the conflict to immediately stop and prevent further abuses of human rights and hold accountable those responsible for grave violations.

Under-Secretary-General's Mission

UN Under-Secretary-General Kenzu Oshima spent three days visiting Afghanistan at the request of United Nations Secretary-General last week.

Explaining why this year is different from others, Oshima said that the spread and scale of the crisis all over the country means that neither Afghans, nor the aid community, have been able to cope and meet all the needs that exist. He warned that the world couldn't conduct "business as usual" for the Afghan people, and that the situation requires exceptional action from the international community, neighboring states and the parties to the conflict.

Return of Qualified Afghans

The Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA) confirmed the contribution of US$208,000 for the second phase of a project for the "return and reintegration of qualified Afghans" initiated by the International Organisation for Migration (IOM).

Basic relocation assistance and supplementary training grants have been provided to almost 80 qualified Afghans (16 under a pilot project with the Swedish Committee for Afghanistan, more than half of whom are female returnees.

IOM is providing counseling to candidates willing to return and undertakes referral services in Peshawar. The database currently has 800 applications by qualified Afghans willing to repatriate.

IOM continues to prioritize relocation assistance for health and education, while also initiating the relocation of qualified Afghans in other sectors related to reconstruction and basic social services. Special emphasis will be placed on enhanced support for female returnees. The support for female returnees includes a self-employment grant for spouses, a "mahram" allowance, and support packages coordinated with communities and NGOs for provision of accommodation, education and transportation support.

Health

A joint MERLIN/UNICEF and the Tajik immunity/prevention mission completed anti-measles vaccinations, supported by UNHCR, to 95% of the Afghan children on islands in the Panj River, at the Tajik-Afghan border.

WHO, UNICEF and SCA are coordinating efforts to control the outbreak of measles in Takhar Province, where 60 children have been affected.

The Regional Department of Expanded Programme on Immunization (EPI), UNICEF and WHO completed a synchronized polio immunization with Pakistan National Immunization Days (NIDs) through immunization posts located in five districts bordering Pakistan in southern region.

Médecin sans Frotières (MsF) with support from UNICEF administered measles vaccine to almost 11,000 children in Maiwand district of Kandahar province.

A positive polio case has been reported from District 9 of Kabul City. A team of UNICEF, WHO and senior pediatricians surveyed the area to find out the coverage of routine EPI and the coverage of OPV during NIDs.

The UNICEF-supported Mental Health Institute provided trauma interventions to 52 women and 32 children in Kabul last week.

The Ministry of Public Health, with support from UNICEF, organised a workshop, attended by fifty participants from UN agencies, NGOs, local authorities, and technical departments, on hygiene education policy guidelines in Kabul.

UNICEF delivered various health and midwifery kits to health facilities in Logar Province

IDPs in Baghlan

According to a joint UNICEF/WHO assessment mission, the situation of IDPs in Baghlan and Kunduz Provinces is alarming. In addition to UN agencies, ICRC, FOCUS, SCA and MsF are coordinating assistance efforts in provision of food, shelter, water, sanitation and health services in the area.

Disability

The Comprehensive Disabled Afghan's Programme (CDAP) distributed group loans to 20 disabled and vulnerable females and males in Kunduz Province last week.

The ICRC-run orthopedic workshop in Kabul provided new equipment to CDAP's workshop in Ghazni. In addition to quality promotion, such cooperation helps in timely meeting the needs of disabled people in central Afghanistan.

CDAP and SCA distributed books, brochures, magazines and other educational materials to the newly established field libraries of community rehabilitation and development centres in Ghazni.

CDAP Takhar established two physiotherapy clinics in Baghlan and Badakhshan provinces.

Sport teams of disabled people have been established in Mazar. CDAP has coordinated this initiative with ICRC Mazar, which also works with similar teams in the region.

Water and Sanitation

The second phase of the drought mitigation joint project, co-funded by UNICEF, WFP and the Swiss Development Corporation, started in southern region last week. Over 100 wells, equipped with handpumps, will be upgraded in 15 districts of the region.

UNICEF is supporting a project in Arghandab District under which 50 hand-pump wells and 300 sanitary latrines will be constructed.

The rural rehabilitation department of Paktia requested UNICEF to extend the drought mitigation project of well construction, which has been halted due mainly to the climatic conditions in the region.

The Kandahar Municipality, in collaboration with UNCHS, continues to clear solid waste from the city.

Last week, Habitat excavated 4,200m of trenches and laid 800m of pipes in District 6, Kandahar. Displaced laborers received 6kg of wheat per working day through Food-for-Work under the construction project.

Education, health, income generation and basic social services are ongoing under Community Fora in Kandahar.

Education

UNICEF delivered 1,500 sets of textbooks and stationery for distribution among 15,000 students in the central region.

Forcible Return

Last week, 570 individuals and 8 families from Faryab, Jawzjan and Kabul provinces were forcibly returned from Iran.

Demining

The manual teams and mine dog groups surveyed and marked 1,040,000 sqm of high priority land contaminated by mine and unexploded ordnance (UXOs) in southern region, and cleared 223,500 sqm of priority land in Kandahar and Helmand provinces last week.

A total of 25,500 mines and UXOs were destroyed in Helmand Province during survey and clearance operations.

Last week, mine explosions resulted in one death in Daman District, Kandahar. Over 2,000 people have received mine awareness training in southern region.

Publication

The Hearing-Impaire Foundation of Afghanistan (HIFA), an implementing partner of the UNOPS/CDAP, with support from UNICEF, has initiated the quarterly Eshara (Sign) magazine. The first issue of Sign covers the following subjects: sign language, convention on the right of the child, mine awareness, sign conversation, art, folklore and literature.

The BBC Afghan Education Projects, with support from UNESCO, has published another illustrated booklet for Afghan children entitled " Where There Is No School" in Dari and Pashto. As a set of educational exercises the book is based on the literacy component of the "New Home, New Life". Copies can be obtained from BBC Afghan Education Projects, 8-Abdara Road, University Town, Peshawar.