February 9, 2007

 

 

Overview

 

US assumes command of NATO troops in Afghanistan

The United States assumed the command of the NATO-led force in Afghanistan last weekend. US General Dan McNeill took over the charge of the 33,000-strong NATO troops from Britain's General David Richards at a change of command ceremony that was held in the Afghan capital of Kabul last Sunday (February 4). Addressing the ceremony, McNeill said NATO's mission was to facilitate Afghanistan's reconstruction so Afghans "might enjoy self-determination, education, health and the peaceful realization of their hopes and dreams" adding, "We will quit neither post nor mission until the job is done or we are properly relieved." Outgoing General Richards said, "People are confident this is winnable. This is a good war, this is a winnable war." McNeill is the highest-ranking US general to lead troops in Afghanistan. His appointment, which comes only two weeks after the US Defense Department extended the tour of duty for 3,200 soldiers from the 10th Mountain Division, is indicative of the United States' renewed commitment for Afghanistan. McNeill is expected to take a tougher stance against Afghan insurgents and is likely to largely utilize military force to bring peace to the war-shattered country. In order to boost its ground presence, NATO is also seeking at least 2,000 additional troops to pre-empt a possible spring offensive by Taliban insurgents along the southern and eastern borders with Pakistan. However, some NATO nations are apprehensive of committing any additional troops to Afghanistan.

 

Russia to continue to provide logistical support to NATO for Afghan mission

Russia is pledging its support to the 26-nation North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) to help deal with the Taliban insurgency. Following a meeting of NATO defense ministers in the Spanish city of Seville today (Friday, February 9), Russian Defense Minister Sergei Ivanov said, "Russia has the most vital, visceral interest in ensuring that (the NATO-led) International Security Assistance Force makes a success of stabilizing the situation in Afghanistan.” Ivanov said Russia had already signed agreements with France and Germany to allow them to transport equipment across Russian territory to their troops in Afghanistan and that his country was willing to sign similar agreements with other NATO nations. He, however, ruled out any troop deployment by Russia into Afghanistan. Ivanov also offered unspecified intelligence support to the NATO-led force in Afghanistan. As part of Russia's assistance to rebuild war shattered Afghanistan, Ivanov said Russia is planning to write-off US$10 billion of Soviet-era debt.

 

Pakistan to close four Afghan refugee camps in border areas

Pakistan has announced that it will close four Afghan refugee camps in its border areas with Afghanistan by August this year. The decision was reached in the 12th Tripartite Commission meeting between Pakistan, Afghanistan and the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in Pakistan's capital of Islamabad, as part of an ongoing project to repatriate the nearly 2.5 million Afghan refugees that have taken shelter in Pakistan over the past three decades. The Pakistan government considers the camps as security threats due to militant activity along the Afghan-Pakistan border, and the camps had been slated for closure as early as 2004. The four camps, which house about 230,000 people, are Girdi Jungle and Jungle Pir Alizai in southwestern Balochistan province, and Katchagari and Jalozai in North West Frontier Province (NWFP). "We understand that security near the border is a top priority and stress that refugee camps must retain their civilian nature," said Guenet Guebre Christos, the UNHCR's representative in Pakistan. "At the same time, the authorities should...offer options to Afghans affected by camp closure." Katchagari and Jungle Pir Alizai will be closed by June 15, while Jalozi and Girdi Jungle will be closed by August 31. The refugees will be given a choice for either voluntary repatriation to Afghanistan, or relocation to other existing refugee camps in Pakistan.

 

 

 

Movement

 

4.2 million refugees have returned to Afghanistan, and 500,000 IDPs returned home since early 2002. Close to 3 million of the refugees returned from Pakistan. 2.6 million Afghans remain in Pakistan, including one million in 74 long-term camps. About 1.5 million Afghans returned from Iran; Taking into account unassisted returns, perhaps 600,000 to 700,000 Afghans remain in Iran—up to 30,000 are in seven camps.

 

2006 UNHCR expects to assist 550,000 returnees—400,000 from Pakistan and 150,000 from Iran. However, so far this year only some 60,000 Afghan refugees have repatriated from Pakistan. Unassisted returns are a factor from Pakistan and have been a major contributor to returns from Iran. The tripartite arrangement among UNHCR-Afghanistan-Pakistan is good through 2006; The UNHCR-Afghanistan-Iran Joint Program has been extended into 2007. Repatriation from Pakistan, halted for the winter, recommenced on March 1. UNHCR assisted nearly 9,000 refugees in returning from Pakistan and over 500 from Iran during March. In April 2006, Pakistan will close two long-term camps in NWFP, and two in Baluchistan Province with 250,000 long-term residents. Refugees in Baluchistan can either return to Afghanistan or relocate to Mohammad Kheil camp near Quetta. Refugees in NWFP are moving to Afghanistan or one of ten camps in NWFP—refugees are pushing for a one-year delay.

 

2005 plans called for 400,000 Afghan refugees to return home from Pakistan and 200,000 from Iran, down from an earlier 350,000 estimated from Iran. 453,000 returned from Pakistan. 67,000 from Iran were assisted and over 210,000 returned on their own to Iran for a total of nearly 280,000, and a combined Pakistan and Iran total of 733,000—close to the original projection.

 

2004 plans were for one million to return. Actual returnees were around 850,000, with 385,000 from Pakistan and 460,000 from Iran, including 80,000 spontaneous returns. Pakistan closed camps in South Waziristan and all new camps, with remaining new refugees going to Mohamed Kheil camp in Baluchistan Province.

Emphasis in 2003 was on repatriation from old camps and cities in Pakistan to rural areas in Afghanistan. 70% of returnees from Pakistan were from cities and 30% from camps. Over a third returned to Kabul, 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%. The 2003 peak months were June and July.

 

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

 

In 2006, UNHCR/IOM will assist with IDP returns and initial integration and then terminate the program. The recognized IDP population is about 150,000 with 120,000 in the south, including 45,000 in the Zhare Dasht camp near Kandahar, 15,000 in the west, mostly in Herat’s Maslakh camp, and 12,000 elsewhere.

 

Afghanistan Relief Efforts: United Nations Coordination Regions

 

 

 

 

 

Central Region

 

 

 

East Central Region

 

 

Eastern Region

 

 

Northeastern Region

 

 

Northern Region

 

 

Southern Region

 

 

Southern Region IDP camps

 

Location	Zhare Dasht - South of Kandahar – 6 camps
Type	IDP Camp
Coordination	UNHCR
Camp Capacity	30,000; expandable to 60,000
Population	125,000 IDPs in south; 48,500 at Zhare Dasht
Movement IDP	An estimated
Food	WFP
Health	UNICEF, MSF;
NFIs - Shelter
Security
Water & Sanitation	UNICEF
Comments	Support for Spin Boldak camps terminated in 2004.

 

 

Western Region

 

Location	Western Region
Coordination	UNHCR; ICMC
Population	12,000 IDPs, mostly in Maslakh camp
Movement IDPs	IOM
Food	WFP has sent 127 tons of food assistance for some 3,515 flood-affected families in Badghis province. (OCHA, Nov. 23) IRC, CARITAS, UNICEF, World Vision, IOM, Action Contre la Faim; WFP;
Health
Non-Food Items (NFIs) – Shelter	UNHCR sent 50 tents, 1,000 blankets, 500 plastic sheets, 20 jerry cans and 500 lanterns for flood victims in Badghis. (OCHA, Nov. 23) UNHCR, Iranian Red Crescent, UNICEF, IOM, Ockenden Int’l, MSF, IMC;
Security	A bomb blast in Herat killed three policemen. (AP, BBC, Feb. 8)
Water & Sanitation	UNICEF
Comments

 

 

Refugee Camps in Pakistan

 

 

Location	Long-term camps in Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA), Baluchistan Province, and by capital, Islamabad; Mohamed Kheil 1 & 2 camps (85 km southwest of Quetta)
Type	Refugee Camps
Coordination	UNHCR.
Camp Capacity	About one million mostly long term Afghans in 74 camps—down from about 200 camps.
Population	Estimated 2.6 million Afghan refugees remain in Pakistan; 63 camps in NWFP, 10 in Baluchistan; and one million elsewhere; Many occupants are long-term residents or were born in Pakistan;
Refugee Movement	UNHCR-assisted returns resumed on March 1. All FATA camps have been closed. 445,000 Afghans returned home from Pakistan in 2005—two thirds were long-term refugees; Pakistan to close Giordi Jungle and Pir Alizai camps in Baloshistan, and Kacha Gari camp in NWFP by the end of July, 2006. (UNNC, June 2). The 250,000 residents will either return to Afghanistan or be relocated to Mohammad Kheil camp, near Quetta in Baluchistan, or ten camps in NWFP.
Food	WFP, CRS, ARC
Health	UNICEF, MSF
Non-Food Items (NFIs) - Shelter	CRS
Security	Pakistani security force of 70,000 to 80,000 reports having border areas secured; Significant clashes between Pakistani government forces and others in border province areas; “Finger-pointing” between Afghan and Pakistan leaders over curbing Taliban and Al-Qaeda along shared border areas
Water & Sanitation	IFRC, MDM
Comments	As of February 2, 2007, over two million Afghan refugees in Pakistan have registered in a US$6-million refugee registration campaign jointly carried out by the UNHCR and Pakistan’s National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA). (UNHCR, Feb. 2)   Pakistan will close four Afghan refugee camps in its border areas, Girdi Jungle and Jungle Pir Alizai in southwestern Balochistan province, and Katchagari and Jalozai in North West Frontier Province (NWFP), by August this year. The camps house about 230,000 people. Katchagari and Jungle Pir Alizai will be closed by June 15, while Jalozi and Girdi Jungle will be closed by August 31. (BBC, UNHCR, Feb-09)