March 5, 2004 Overview - who.int fileThe office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) resumed its voluntary ... that all repatriation centers across Pakistan

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March 5, 2004

Overview

Turkish worker gunned down in southern Afghanistan as US-led coalition expands securityToday (Friday, March 5), unidentified gunmen in Afghanistan’s southeastern Zabul province gunneddown two people, including a Turkish engineer and an Afghan security guard. A second Turkishworker and another Afghan security guard were also abducted in the incident, which took place in theShah Joy district of Zabul. According to reports, a car carrying two Turkish nationals working on a US-funded Kabul-Kandahar highway resurfacing project and two Afghan security guards were stoppedand ambushed around midday by gunmen as they approached Shah Joy. The provincial governor,


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Kheyal Mohammad Husseini, told Reuters that ousted Taliban or elements loyal to renegade warlordGulbuddin Hekmatyar were behind the attacks. Security across Afghanistan has been a majorconcern in recent months for the Afghan government of President Hamid Karzai and the internationalcommunity, ahead of this year’s planned nationwide general elections in June. The US-led coalitionforces are expanding Provincial Reconstruction Teams (PRTs) in more regions across the country. Anew civil-military PRT was set up this week in Afghanistan’s troubled southeastern province ofGhazni. The team will improve security to some 1.86 million people across the province. Two morePRTs are planned for the southeastern provinces of Khost and Zabul over the coming weeks.

UN steps up efforts to train Afghan police forceThe United Nations has reportedly stepped up efforts to train some 20,000 Afghan police officersahead of this year’s nationwide general elections in June. Speaking at a press briefing on Sunday(February 29) Manoel de Almeida e Silva, spokesman for the United Nations Assistance Mission inAfghanistan (UNAMA), said a series of expanded intensive courses aimed at accelerating new policerecruitment and training in the country’s north and southeast have been launched. He added thatstarting this week, some 750 policemen from the southern and eastern provinces of Ghazni, MaidanWardak, Logar, Paktika, Khost and Paktia would undergo a three-week training course at GardezPolice Academy to upgrade their skills. Some 1,000 policemen from the northern provinces of Balkh,Sar-i-Pul, Faryab, Jowzjan and Samangan are expected to go through the same training program atthe Mazar Police Academy in the northern city of Mazar-i-Sharif. The US-led and funded trainingprogram complements the German-led Afghan police training for new recruits at the Kabul PoliceAcademy. The UN hopes to have enough trained Afghan police in place across the country to helpmaintain law and order during nationwide polls scheduled for June this year.

UNHCR resumes Afghan repatriationsThe office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) resumed its voluntaryAfghan refugee repatriation campaign from Pakistan on Tuesday (March 2). Jack Redden,spokesman for UNHCR, told the United Nations Integrated Regional Information Network (IRIN) inPakistan’s capital Islamabad on Monday (March 1), “The repatriation will resume tomorrow,” addingthat all repatriation centers across Pakistan in Karachi, Islamabad, Peshawar and Quetta will resumethe repatriation program. Redden said the UNHCR plans to repatriate some 400,000 Afghanrefugees in Pakistan to their homes during 2004. A UNHCR official told reporters last Friday(February 27) that the decision to resume repatriation operations comes following assurances by thegovernments of Afghanistan and Pakistan and amid additional security measures taken by theagency. In addition to refugee repatriations from Pakistan, UNHCR has also resumed repatriations forinternally displaced persons (IDPs) in the southern province of Kandahar to the western province ofHerat. The UN refugee agency suspended its repatriation program last November (2003) amiddeteriorating security conditions and the murder of a female international staffer.

Britain increases its aid package for AfghanistanBritain is boosting its aid package to Afghanistan by an additional 300 million British pounds (US$552million). The new aid package announced on Monday (March 1) by the Department for InternationalDevelopment (DfID) will bring Britain’s contribution to war-wracked Afghanistan from an alreadypledged GBP 200 million (US$ 368 million) to at least GBP 500 million (US$ 920 million) over a fiveyear period. Britain’s International Development Secretary Hilary Benn said in a statement thatalthough a lot has been accomplished in Afghanistan over the last two years, there were stillchallenges ahead that need to be addressed. She said the new aid commitment would helpAfghanistan to address those challenges. According to the new aid package, at least GBP 75 million(US$140 million) would be spent for reconstruction each year.


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Supply Routes Map for Humanitarian Aid


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MovementTotal returns in the last 18 months are 2.5 million with 610,000 in 2003 including 340,000 from Pakistan

and 270,000 from Iran. Initially 1.5 million to 2 million were expected. UNHCR restarted assisted returnsfrom Pakistan this week after a several month hiatus. 400,000 are expected to return from Pakistan thisyear. In January and February less than 4,000 were assisted to return; they were all from Iran andincluded about 700 earthquake survivors from Bam. The 2003 peaks were 92,000 in June and 78,000 inJuly. Some camps in Pakistan will be closed or consolidated in 2004.

Emphasis in 2003 was on repatriation from old camps and cities in Pakistan to rural areas inAfghanistan. 70% of returnees from Pakistan were from cities and 30% from camps. Over a third returned toKabul, another 10% went to other central provinces, and just over 20% returned to each of the north and east.The Southern region received 6% and the Western region 4%. About one million refugees remain in Iran and1.2 million in Pakistan. Remaining in Pakistan are 200,000 in cities, nearly 1 million in old camps and 150,000in the post-September 2001 camps.

In 2002 over 2.3 million Afghan refugees returned with 2 million assisted by UNHCR. UNHCRrepatriated 1.53 million Afghan refugees from Pakistan, including 125,000 from Baluchistan and 1.4 million fromthe North West Frontier Province. 82% were from urban areas; only 3% were from new camps. 265,000refugees were assisted in returning from Iran; and 10,000 refugees from the central Asian republics. This is inaddition

UNHCR starting 2004 IDP returns; There are 184,000 recorded, active IDPs, with the actual total ofperhaps some 300,000. Active IDP numbers are 144,000 in the South, 21,000 in the West, 2,800 in the Center,5,500 in the East and Southeast, and 41,000 in the North and Northeast. UNHCR assisted 60,000 IDPs toreturn in 2003. to the estimated 280,000 who voluntarily repatriated from Pakistan and Iran.

WFP received nearly 4,700 metric tons (MT) of food aid from outside Afghanistan and distributed2,400 MT, leaving stocks of 17,500 MT.

Routes for Humanitarian Aid and Refugees Country Supply Routes

FromSupply/Return Routes To Comments

Mashhad Dogharun, Herat, Badghis &Ghor

Major refugee repatriation route;Iran

Zabol Nimruz Refugee repatriation route;Peshawar Khyber Pass Torkham

Jalalabad, Kabul, Bamiyan &refugee camps in NWFP,Pakistan

Major refugee repatriation route;Pakistan

Quetta Refugee camps in Baluchistan,Pakistan & Kandahar andHerat

Significant refugee repatriation route

Tajikistan Nizhny Pyandzh Sherkhan, Kunduz, Northernregion, & Kabul

Engineering studies for bridge overPyandzh River; Some constraints onSalang tunnel traffic

Kyrgyzstan Osh Ishkashim, Faizabad, & NE WFP no longer needs routeTurkmenabat,Kushka Herat, Badghis & Ghor UNHCR no long needs route

Turkmenistan

Turkmenabat, Kerki Andkhoy, Mazar-e-Sharif, &Northern Region UNHCR no longer needs route

Uzbekistan Termez Mazar-e-Sharif and North Friendship Bridge for rail and road


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Afghanistan Relief Efforts: United Nations Coordination Regions

Central Region

Location BamiyanCoordination

Population 2,800 active IDPs in Central and East CentralIDP Movement

Food WFP; preparations for winter complete

Health ICRC, IMC, MSF; malnutrition high

NFIs -Shelter IOM, UNICEF, UNOCHA, & OXFAMWater & Sanitation

Security New Zealand PRT in Bamiyan

Comments


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East Central RegionSecurity: Five Afghans working for a development NGO killed in Kapisa province;

Location Kabul

Coordination UNHCR

Population 2,800 active IDPs in Central and East Central

IDP Movement UN; currently few returning home from Kabul

Food WFP, IRC, Action Contre la Faim

Health CARITAS, MSF, IFRC, IRC, ICRC

Russian relief center and hospital; improved ambulance service

Non-Food Items - Shelter UNHCR, ACTED, MSF, IRC, ICRC, IOM; housing being built for squatters

Security

Water & Sanitation ICRC; Wells, pumps, and clean water considerably improved; chlorination ofwells on-going

Comments

Eastern RegionSecurity: UN missions suspended in Nuristan province; Coalition operations continue; US PRTin Gardez; New US PRT in Ghazni province; Coalition says it will establish more PRTs in east andsouth to improve security and humanitarian support; UN reports security concerns hinder voterregistration for June elections;

Location Jalalabad

Coordination UNHCR

Population 5,500 active IDPs in EastIDP Movement

Food WFP, IRC

Health UNICEF, MSF, IMC, WHO; ICRC

Non-Food Items - Shelter CWS, UNICEF

Security US PRT in Jalalabad

Water & Sanitation CARITAS; ICRC


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Eastern Region IDP Camps

Location Hesarshahi (12 kmeast of Jalalabad)

Sar Shahi

Type IDP IDP

Coordination International IslamicRelief Organization(ISRO)

Capacity

Population 9,000 remaining 15,000Movement IDPs UNHCR assisted

15,000 return homeFoodHealthNon-Food Items(NFIs) - ShelterSecurityWater & SanitationComments

Northeastern Region

Location FaizabadOrganization

Population 11,000 active IDPs in North and Northeast

Movement IDPs 117,000 returned spontaneously in Northeasternregion

Food OXFAM, UNICEF, WFP, World Concern

Preparations for winter underway

Health WHO, Merlin, UNICEF, MSF; ICRC

Non-Food Items(NFIs) -Shelter

UNICEF, ACTED, Refugees Int’l, Mercy Corps

Security CalmWater & Sanitation

Comments 5 new bridges linking Northeast to Tajikistan


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Northern RegionSecurity: UN missions suspended to parts of Balk province; US PRT in Parwan; Conflictbetween local commanders;

Location KunduzCoordination

Population 11,000 active IDPs in North and Northeast; 60,000IDPs from North elsewhere in country;

Movement IDPs IOM targeting 45,000 IDPs to identify those interestedin voluntary assisted return home starting 31 March

Food ACF, FOCUS, OXFAM, IOM, Save the Children;

Health WHO, MSF

Non-Food Items (NFIs) –Shelter

Convoys from Mazar-e-Sharif, Kabul, and Tajikistan

IOM, ACTED, Mercy Corps

Security UN PRT in KunduzWater & Sanitation

Comments Aid and relief supplies from North, South, and West

Northern Region IDP Camps (Kunduz)

Location Bagh-e-Sherkat AmirabadType IDP IDPCoordination IOM IOM

Camp Capacity 22,000

Population Less than 5,000 between thetwo camps

Less than 5,000 between thetwo camps

Movement IDPs Largely stopped Largely stopped

Food WFP WFP, ACTED, Focus

HealthNon-Food Items(NFIs) - Shelter IOM

SecurityWater &Sanitation


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Location Mazar-e-SharifCoordination UNHCR

Population 11,000 active IDPs in North and Northeast; 60,000 IDPsfrom North elsewhere in country;

Movement IDPs IOM moving some IDPs home

Food WFP; preparations for winter underway

Health WHO; ICRC.

Jordanian field hospital

Non-Food Items(NFIs) - Shelter

IRC, IOM, UNICEF, Action Contre la Faim; FAO

Security British PRT in Mazar-e-Sharif; Disarmament anddemobilization of competing warlord corps underway;

Water & Sanitation ICRCComments

Southern RegionSouthern region has 145,000 active IDPs;Security: Turkish engineer and Afghan soldier killed on highway in Zabul province; Missionsto Uruzgan province suspended; Logistics hub in Quetta, Pakistan, which supplies south,closed due to security concerns; Coalition says it will establish more PRTs in east and south toimprove security and support humanitarian activities; UN reports security concerns hinder voterregistration for June elections;

Location KandaharCoordination UNHCR

Population 145,000 active IDPs in SouthMovement of IDPs

Food International staff present and operating

Mercy Corps in southern Kandahar Province

Health WHO, ICRC, CARITAS, Mercy Corps; UNICEF;

NFIs - Shelter UNHCR, Mercy Corps

Security US PRT in Kandahar;

Water & Sanitation

Comments


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Southern Region IDP Camps (Kandahar)

Location KandaharType IDP

Capacity 90,000 in 39 camps in Panjwai district

Population Survey of IDPs in the Southern Region to beconducted later this month

Movement IDPs Plan to relocate 55,000 IDPs from SpinBoldak, no-man’s land to camps, andKandahar camps to Zhare Dasht; Relocationfrom no-man’s land complete; selectedrelocations from Kandahar city to ZhareDasht underway

FoodHealthNFIs - ShelterSecurity Security concerns: crime, banditry, and

general insecurityWater & SanitationComments

Southern Region IDP camps south of Kandahar

Location Zhare Dasht (South of Kandhar – 6 camps)Type IDP Camp

Coordination Int’l Save our Souls

Camp Capacity 30,000; expandable to 60,000

Population 36,000

Movement IDP Initial movement of several hundred to homes in west

Food WFP

Health MSF; outbreak of diphtheria among under-18

NFIs - ShelterSecurity A concern of potential occupants

Water & Sanitation UNICEF wells

Comments New camps designed to attract IDPs from Spin Boldakand no-man’s land near Chaman


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Eight Southern Region camps in Panjwai and Maiwand west of Kandahar for 30,000 nomadic KuchisLocation Mandozai (60 kn from

Kandahar)Marghar Morsham

Type IDP Camp IDP Camp IDP Camp

Coordination Cordaid Cordaid Cordaid

Camp Capacity

Population 1,700 4,500 16,000Movement IDPRefugees in no-man’s land

Food Caritas Caritas Caritas

Health Caritas Caritas CaritasNFIs - ShelterSecurityWater & SanitationComments

Southern Region IDP Camps (Spin Boldak--Near Afghan-Pakistan Border Chaman Area)About 20,000 IDPs in the Spin Boldak area; plans to move remaining IDPs to 6 camps near Kandahar inprocess; 7,000 assisted in moving to Zhare Dasht since Oct 2003; 8,000 – 10,000 assisted in returning home;

Location Al Rashid (SpinBoldak)

Ben Rashid Maktum(Spin Boldak)

Rabita Alam el Islam(Spin Boldak)


Coordination UNCHR UNHCR UNHCRCamp CapacityPopulation 1,100Movement IDPFood WFP WFP Distribution interrupted in

mid-May

Health UNICEF and MSF UNICEF and MSF UNICEF and MSF

NFIs - ShelterSecurity

Water & Sanitation Trucks and water tanks Trucks and water tanks UNHCR supplying limitedquantities

Comments New camp New camp New camp


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Location Spin Boldak Spin Boldak Wesh


Coordination International IslamicRelief Organization

NGO from United ArabEmirates

International IslamicRelief Organization

Camp Capacity 6,000

Population 6,000Movement IDPRefugees in no-man’s landFood WFP WFP WFP

Health UNICEF and MSF UNICEF and MSF UNICEF and MSFNFIs - ShelterSecurity

Water & Sanitation Trucks and water tanks Trucks and water tanks Trucks and water tanks

Comments New camp New camp New camp

Western Region20,500 active IDPsSecurity: UN missions to Farah province suspended;

Location

Herat Province

Coordination UNHCR; ICMC

Population 70,000 or less in 5 remaining camps down from 200,000to 360,000 depending on estimates

Movement IDPs 74,000 returned from Herat to Badghis province

Food WFP, IRC, CARITAS, UNICEF, World Vision, IOM, ActionContre la Faim

Health WHO, MSF, MDM, Order of Malta, CHA, IbniSina, HRS;ICRC; very high maternal mortality

Non-Food Items (NFIs)– Shelter

UNHCR, Iranian Red Crescent, UNICEF, IOM,Blankets and fuel being distributed;Ockenden Int’l, MSF, IMC

Security US PRT in Herat

Water & Sanitation UNICEFComments


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Western Region IDP CampsLocation Mir Daud (25 km

west of Herat)Maslakh (20 km west ofHerat)

Shaydayee (18 km east ofHeart)

Type IDP Camp IDP camp IDP camp

Coordination ICMC ICMC ICMC

Camp Capacity 100,000

Population New arrivals fromBadghis andGhor

11,000 16,000

Movement IDPs IOM assisted IDPs return homein North-West for 2003 total of23,000

IOM assisted 23,000 IDPs toreturn home from Mashlakhand Shaydayee in 2003; MSFreports Shaydayee to close—remaining IDPs to be shiftedto Maslakh

Food WFP; food-for-work programvice distribution

WFP; general fooddistribution to end April; Shiftto food-for-work program vicedistribution

Health WHO, IMC, MSF, MDM, HRS,CHA, IbniSina; ICRC

(NFIs) - Shelter IOM, UNHCR distributingadditional tarps and blankets

UNICEF, UNHCR

SecurityWater & Sanitation UNICEFComments

Western Region IDP Camps (cont.)Location Minaret 1 & 2 Rawza Herat City

Type IDP camp IDP camp IDP camp

Coordination ICMC ICMCCamp Capacity

Population Less than 2,000 Less than 500 remain Less than 5,000

Movement IDPs

Food MDM doing foodsupplements

Health

Non-Food Items(NFIs) - Shelter

UNHCR and NGOproviding tents

Security

Water & Sanitation UNICEF UNICEFComments Officially closed


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Refugee Locations in PakistanUNHCR has been caring for more than 260,000 refugees in Pakistan, including 137,000 people in nine campsand one transit area in Baluchistan Province and 110,000 in seven camps in Northwest Frontier Province. WFPplans to provide food aid for 288,000 refugees in the new camps in 2003. Numbers are decreasing slowly withreturn of refugees; refugee return rates have slowed to several thousand per week from their peak of over400,000 in May. UNHCR reactivates assistance to returning refugees this week. Logistics hub in Quettaclosed because of security concerns.

Baluchistan ProvinceLocation Baluchistan ProvinceCoordination

Population 137,000 people in 9 camps and one transit area

Movement of Refugees Afghans in no-man’s land relocated to ZhareDasht and Mohamed Khele; Plans to close othercamps in vicinity of Chaman over time

Food WFP

Health Medicins du Monde; MSF

NFIs – Shelter Emergency distribution of blanketsSecurity

Water & Sanitation IFRC, Medicins du Monde; Action Contre la FaimComments

Refugee Camps in Baluchistan, PakistanLocation Killi Faizo (2km from Chaman) Mohamed Khele 1 & 2

(85 km southwest ofQuetta)

Roghani (new) (16 kmfrom Chaman)

Type Transit Center Refugee Camp Refugee Camp

Coordination UNHCR UNHCR/Rotary Intl. UNHCR

Camp Capacity 80,000 17,000 - full

Population 0 37,000 Pashtuns 17,000

No-man’s land Closed 8,000 refugees havebeen relocated from no-man’s land

Refugee MovementNumerous familiesstarting to move to SpinBoldak in Afghanistan;UNHCR plans to closecamp in March 2004

Food WFP WFP, CRS WFP


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Health UNICEF; MSF UNICEF, MSF UNICEF,MSFNon-Food Items(NFIs) - Shelter UNICEF; CRSSecurityWater & Sanitation IFRC, MDM IFRC, MDM, Oxfam

Refugee Camps in Baluchistan, Pakistan (cont.)Location Landi Karez (5 km

from Roghani)Tor Tangi (20 kmfrom Chaman)

Lejay Karez (75km from Quetta) -new

Latifabad (10 km fromMohammad Kheil)

Type Refugee Camp Refugee Camp Refugee Camp Refugee Camp

Coordination UNHCR UAE Red Crescent UNHCR UNHCR

Camp Capacity 10,000 10,000 8,600

Population 16,500 10,000 5,700 6,350 ethnic minorities

Refugee Movement From Quetta

Food WFP WFP WFP

Health AMDANFIs - ShelterSecurity

Water & Sanitation IFRC, MDM, Oxfam IFRC, MDM IFRC, MDM IFRC

North West Frontier Province (NWFP), Pakistan

Location North West Frontier ProvinceCoordination

Population 110,000

Refugee Movement 1,404,000 refugees have returned; someold camps beginning to empty Shalmancamp occupants to be graduallyconsolidated or returned to Afghanistan

Food WFPHealthNon-Food Items (NFIs) - ShelterSecurity Under control after attack on WHO vehicleWater & Sanitation

Comments


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Refugee Camps in NWFP, Pakistan37,600 in Shamshatoo; 63,000 among six remaining camps

Location New Shamshatoo (60km southwest ofPeshawar)

Kotkai (Bajur Agency120 Km northwest ofPeshawar)

Barkali (Bajur Agency)

Type Refugee Camp Refugee Camp Refugee Camp

Coordination UNHCR

Camp Capacity 75,000 20,000

Population 37,600 16,000

Refugee MovementRefugees returning toAfghanistan;

Food WFP WFP WFP

Health

NFI - Shelter CRS UNICEFSecurity

Water & Sanitation UNICEF

Comments Primarily for Pashtuns

Location Old Bagzai(Kurram Agency)

Shalman 1 (KhyberAgency - new)

Bassu (KurramAgency)

Asgharo (KurramAgency

Type Refugee Camp Refugee Camp Refugee Camp Refugee Camp

Coordination UNHCR IRC/Rotary Intl. UNHCR UNHCR

Camp Capacity 10,000 20,000 501 12,200

Population 2,000 10,000RefugeeMovement

Half to return; halfto be consolidatedat Kotkai in March

Food WFP WFP WFP WFPHealthNFIs - Shelter IRC IRC

SecurityWater & San CRS Water truck route

dispute with locals

Comments Established campfor Tajiks, Uzbeks,and Turkmens

CLOSED for newarrivals; UNHCR toclose in March;

For Shiite refugees,mostly Tajik andHazaras

Relocated refugeesfrom Jalozai andurban Peshawar

Documents

March 5, 2004 Overview - who.int fileThe office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) resumed its voluntary ... that all repatriation centers across Pakistan