February 16 2007

 

 

Overview

 

NATO chief predicts Afghan stability despite recent surge in violence

NATO Secretary General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer said last week that despite a recent surge in violence, the Afghan insurgency will be largely tackled by 2009, turning the country on a path of long-term peace and stability. He said Pakistan was vital for success in Afghanistan, and called for a political dialog in conjunction with the military dialog already underway with Pakistan. De Hoop Scheffer's comments came ahead of US Defense Secretary Robert Gates’ visit to Pakistan on Monday (February 12), aimed at enhancing security cooperation and coordination with Pakistan along the Afghan border. Gates, who held talks with Pakistan's President General Pervez Musharraf, said Pakistan was a "strong ally" in the war against terror. He said the allies had a chance to deal a strategic setback to the Taliban. Speaking to the reporters in Pakistan, Gates acknowledged that the United States made a mistake in Afghanistan after the Soviets left adding, "We won't make that mistake again."

 

US President Bush calls on NATO allies to send more troops to Afghanistan

US President George W Bush is calling on NATO members to step up efforts to fight insurgent Taliban in Afghanistan. Speaking at the American Enterprise Institute in Washington, DC, Bush said, "When our commanders on the ground say to our respective countries, "we need additional help," our NATO countries must provide it." He said that NATO had to hold true to its founding principle: "An attack on one is an attack on all." He further added, "Allies must lift restrictions on the forces they do provide so NATO commanders have the flexibility they need to defeat the enemy whenever the enemy may make a stand." Bush said, "This spring there's going to be a new offensive in Afghanistan and it's going to be a NATO offensive". The call comes a day after US said it is diverting some 3,200 troops from the 173rd Airborne Brigade stationed in Italy to Afghanistan, which were originally scheduled to go to Iraq. The US, UK, Canada and the Netherlands are the largest contributors to some 33,000 NATO troops in Afghanistan. A report by the Canadian Senate Committee this week recommended the withdrawal of Canadian troops from Afghanistan if other NATO nations failed to commit much needed troops on the ground. NATO is urging other member nations that have not committed any significant number of troops to do their part in anticipation of a surge in violence by Afghan insurgents this spring.

 

European Union to send mission to train Afghan police

The European Union (EU) announced on Monday (February 12) that it will send a mission comprising over 200 experts to train the Afghan police. In a statement, the EU said, "The mission will work toward an Afghan police...that respects human rights and operates within the framework of the rule of law." According to reports, some 150 police officers and some 60 experts are likely to take part in the mission, which will cost US$51.84 million (EUR 40 million) for this year. The mission will provide a significant boost to police training efforts in Afghanistan, which is currently being carried out by some 40 experts from Germany. The EU statement said the mission will also address the issue of police reform at the central, regional and provincial levels. The training and reform of the Afghan national army and the Afghan police force are pivotal for the restoration of the country's fledgling security and enforcement of the rule of law.

 

Typhoid fever outbreak in central Afghan province leaves at least five dead

A local Afghan newspaper reported Wednesday (February 14) that typhoid fever has claimed five lives and infected some 200 others over the past 10 days in the Charsada district of the country's central Ghor province. Provincial Health Department Director Abdul Qayum has sent a team of doctors to the area to control the outbreak. Typhoid fever is an illness caused by the bacterium Salmonell Typhi. Common worldwide, it is transmitted by ingestion of food or water contaminated with feces from an infected person. Typhoid fever can be fatal, however, prompt treatment of the disease with antibiotics reduces the case-fatality rate to approximately 1%. When untreated, typhoid fever can persist for three weeks to a month. Death occurs in between 10% and 30% of untreated cases.

 

 

 

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
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
Food	WFP, CRS, ARC
Health	UNICEF, MSF
Non-Food Items (NFIs) - Shelter	CRS
Security	“Finger-pointing” between Afghan and Pakistan leaders over curbing Taliban and Al-Qaeda along shared border areas
Water & Sanitation	IFRC, MDM
Comments	2,161,984 Afghans were registered between October 2006 and yesterday. Of the total, 1,368,316 were registered in North West Frontier Province; 454,726 in Balochistan; 240,698 in Punjab and Islamabad; 92,189 in Sindh; and 6,055 in Pakistan-controlled Kashmir (PcK). More than 2.87 million Afghans have returned home from Pakistan since 2002, including over 133,000 in 2006. (Feb. 16, Reuters)   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)