July 6, 2007

Overview

Three NATO soldiers killed in Afghanistan's restive south

Three soldiers on the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) were killed in two separate security incidents in southeastern Afghanistan on Thursday (July 5). Two NATO soldiers were killed and several others, including Afghan troops and a civilian contractor, were wounded during a military operation against Taliban insurgents in eastern Afghanistan. A third NATO soldier was also killed on Thursday in a roadside bomb explosion in the southeast. Maria Carl, an ISAF spokeswoman, confirmed three NATO casualties today (Friday, July 6) but did not disclose the nationalities of the fallen soldiers and the locations where encounters took place. Meanwhile, a suicide car bomb attack in the Afghan capital wounded two British soldiers on the NATO-led force. The attack reportedly took place in Kabul's Dah Sabuz district. The latest casualties bring NATO's overall death toll so far this year to at least 105.

Canada to keep troops in Afghanistan despite Wednesday's casualties

Canada said it will continue to maintain its presence in Afghanistan until early 2009 as scheduled, despite recent casualties. Speaking at a televised news conference yesterday (Thursday, July 5) about the death of six Canadian soldiers in a roadside bomb attack in southern Afghanistan on Wednesday (July 4), Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper said, "Casualties at this level weigh very heavily upon my mind" and on the government. Wednesday's casualties bring Canada's overall death toll in Afghanistan to 66 since sending troops in 2002. The attack, which took place in Zhari district in southern Kandahar province, is the deadliest since May 15 when enemy fire brought down a Chinook helicopter in southern Helmand province, killing five Americans, one Canadian and one British soldier. Six Canadian soldiers and their Afghan interpreter were killed on Wednesday when their vehicle was struck by a roadside bomb. Separately, at least nine Afghan policemen were killed in a suicide bomb attack in the border town of Spin Boldak in Kandahar province on Thursday (July 5). According to reports, a suicide bomber disguised as a policeman blew himself up at a checkpoint while policemen were having lunch. A purported Taliban spokesman told Reuters news agency that the Taliban had carried out the attack.

NATO to investigate civilian casualties in Afghanistan

Jaap de Hoop Scheffer, Secretary-General of the 26-nation North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) leading the charge of the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) in Afghanistan, said on Tuesday (July 3) that he regretted civilian casualties in a NATO-led operation against suspected Taliban militants in southern Helmand province last Friday (June 29) that left more than 100 people dead. Speaking from Rome, where he was attending a two-day conference on the rule of law in Afghanistan, De Hoop Scheffer pledged an investigation into the incident. He said, "We do not intentionally kill [civilians], they [Taliban] behead people, they burn schools, they kill women and children. Let us not forget." UN Secretary-General Ban Ki Moon, who is also at the Rome talks, cautioned that civilian casualties, no matter how accidentally they were caused, would only strengthen the Taliban. He said both Afghan and international forces must "act strictly in accordance with the international humanitarian law" to avoid discrediting their campaign against the Taliban. US ambassador to the United Nations Zalmay Khalilzad, who is also in Rome, said the killing of more than 300 civilians in security operations was "unfortunate," adding that these deaths should be investigated and lessons must be drawn from these investigations.

Abducted German freed in western Afghanistan

A German national and his Afghan translator who went missing last Thursday (June 28) while traveling from the southern city of Kandahar to the western city of Herat have reportedly been released. Zemarai Bashary, a spokesman for the Afghan Interior Ministry, told the Associated Press (AP) yesterday (Thursday, July 5) that the two men were now at the office of the district police chief in Delaram district in western Farah province. Bashary said the men were freed with the help of Afghan police and were in good health. He did not say who abducted the two men. Bashary did not say if any ransom was paid for the release of the abducted men. A purported Taliban spokesman denied that the group was behind the kidnapping. The abduction of foreigners in Afghanistan is not uncommon. Besides hardline Taliban insurgents, other bandit groups are known to have been active in the kidnappings for money extortion.

Movement

2007 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.

Iran deported some 85,000 unregistered refugees to Afghanistan during April 21 - May 14, 2007. Iranian officials say they plan to initially send back 500,000 of over a million illegal refugees in the country. Earlier this week, Iran said it has reached an agreement with the Afghan government to slow down the pace of expulsions for illegal Afghans living in the country.

Some 200,000 Afghan refugees in Pakistan have returned to their homes under the UN-assisted voluntary Afghan refugee repatriation program since it resumed on March 1, 2007, following a seasonal winter suspension. Pakistani authorities say voluntary repatriation of Afghan refugees in Pakistan that are without proof of registration (PoR) ended this week (April 15), and refugees remaining in the country without PoR are now considered illegal and subject to government action. Repatriation campaign for Afghan refugees with PoR

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.

Afghanistan Relief Efforts: United Nations Coordination Regions

Central Region

Location	Central Region
Coordination
Population	An avalanche in the Murgab area in central Ghor killed at least 16 people. On March 19 floods killed 30 people in Uruzgan province.
IDP Movement
Food
Health	Typhoid fever has claimed five lives and infected some 200 others in the Charsada district of central Ghor province. (Feb. 15, People’s Daily Online)
NFIs -Shelter	IOM, UNICEF, UNOCHA, & OXFAM
Water & Sanitation	UNICEF
Security	New Zealand PRT in Bamiyan In Uruzgan (Oruzgan) province, nine civilians and a Dutch soldier were killed in a suicide car bomb attack on a Dutch NATO convoy in the provincial capital of Tirin Kot on June 15. 11 other civilians were injured. (June 15, BBC)
Comments

East Central Region

Location	East Central Region
Coordination	UNHCR
Population
IDP Movement	UN; Government encouraging refugees to return to home provinces to limit burden on Kabul—government land distribution program only in province of origin;
Food	ISAF troops carried out a two-day food donation near the village of Gulbagh in Chahar Asiab district, (Feb. 11, NATO) IRC, Action Contra la Faim; WFP;
Health	UNICEF, CARITAS, MSF, IFRC, IRC, ICRC; Kabul is home to the world’s worst outbreak of leishmaniasis, thought to have spread to hundreds of thousands of people. The sandflies that spread the parasites causing the disease are present in all Afghan cities, but more prominently in poor, crowded areas where they breed on waste land and in trash. (Reuters, May 7)
Non-Food Items - Shelter	UNHCR, ACTED, MSF, IRC, ICRC, IOM;
Security	On Friday (July 6), a suicide car bomb attack in Kabul wounded two British NATO soldiers in the NATO-led force. The attack reportedly took place in Kabul's Dah Sabuz district. (AFP, July 6)
Water & Sanitation	ICRC;
Comments	Floods triggered by spring rains continue to affect districts in Kunar, Laghman and Nangarhar provinces. Floods have killed 13 people in Kunar and another eight in Laghman. Nearly 3,000 people have been affected by the floods in these provinces. (OCHA, Apr. 5)

Eastern Region

Location	Eastern Region
Coordination	UNHCR, International Islamic Relief Organization;
Population
IDP Movement	UNHCR
Food	IRC;
Health	FAO confirmed cases of the H5N1 type of bird flu in poultry in the eastern city of Jalalabad in Nangarhar province and in Sawki district in Kunar province. (FAO, Feb. 26) Jalalabad PRT distributed hygiene kits, first-aid kits, tarps, school kits, and student kits to the Char Bagh Girls Middle School in Sirjkh Rod District, in Nangarhar province. (NATO, Feb. 11)
Non-Food Items - Shelter	CWS, UNICEF
Security	Villagers in eastern Kunar province said that 35 civilians have been killed in two separate air attacks by international forces late on Thursday (July 5). NATO said it had launched airstrikes in the area, but did not have reports of civilian casualties. (BBC, July 6) On Friday (July 6), two NATO soldiers were killed and several wounded in a military operation against Taliban insurgents in eastern Afghanistan. Maria Carl, an ISAF spokeswoman, confirmed the casualties but did not disclose their nationalities or the locations. (AFP, July 6)
Water & Sanitation	CARITAS; ICRC, UNICEF
Comments

Northeastern Region

Location	Northeastern Region
Coordination
Population	9,000 active IDPs in North and Northeast
Movement IDPs
Food
Health	WHO, Merlin, UNICEF, MSF; ICRC
Non-Food Items (NFIs) -Shelter	UNICEF, ACTED, Refugees Int’l, Mercy Corps
Security	NATO/German PRT in Faizabad
Water & Sanitation
Comments	At least 24 people were killed in flash floods caused by torrential rains in northeastern Badakhshan province on May 15. (IRIN, May 16)

Northern Region

Location	Northern Region
Coordination	UNHCR, IOM
Population	9,000 active IDPs in North and Northeast; 60,000 IDPs from North elsewhere in country;
Movement IDPs	IOM
Food
Health	MSF, ICRC, UNICEF;
NFIs –Shelter	IOM, ACTED, Mercy Corps
Security
Water & Sanitation	UNICEF, ICRC, DACAAR
Comments	A landslide triggered by heavy rain on Sunday (June 24) killed six children in Kunduz province. (IFRC, June 29) On Wednesday (June 27) floods in Panjshir province killed 24 people and injured 40 others. (June 29, IFRC)

Southern Region

Location	Southern Region
Coordination	UNHCR
Population	IFRC says that flash floods and avalanches in early March have affected 2,200 families in Helmand/Sangreen Grishk, Musa Qala, and Nowzad districts; and 400 families in Uruzgan/Dehraud district. (IFRC, March 23).
Movement of IDPs
Food	ISAF troops delivered some eight tons of food and non-food items and medical supplies to a village near Kandahar. (NATO, Mar. 28) UNICEF; Mercy Corps; CARITAS; WFP; MRRD, in conjunction with the WFP, plans to distribute 5,820 metric tons of food during 2007 to 50,820 food insecure families (304,920 individuals) under a food-for-work scheme. (GOA, Feb.22)
Health	ICRC is considering the Afghan government’s request to run a hospital in Helmand province that was formerly run by the Italian NGO, Emergency. (BBC, Wednesday, June 6)
NFIs - Shelter	UNHCR, Mercy Corps;
Security	On Tuesday (July 3), NATO Secretary-General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer said he regretted civilian casualties in a NATO-led operation against suspected Taliban militants in Helmand province last Friday (June 29) that left more than 100 people dead. (BBC, July 3) On Wednesday (July 4), six Canadian soldiers and their Afghan interpreter were killed in a roadside bomb attack in Zhari district in Kandahar province. (BBC, CNN, July 5) On Thursday (July 5), at least nine Afghan policemen were killed in a suicide bomb attack in the border town of Spin Boldak in Kandahar. (BBC, CNN, July 5) A NATO soldier was killed in a roadside bomb explosion in the southeast. Maria Carl, an ISAF spokeswoman confirmed the casualty today (Friday, July 6) but did not disclose their nationalities or locations. (AFP, July 6) On Friday (July 6), US forces reportedly killed 33 Taliban in Uruzgan province, when two police vehicles were attacked by militants. (BBC, July 6)
Water & Sanitation	UNICEF
Comments	Floods in Kunar province on Monday (June 25) left seven dead and three missing. The floods also damaged houses, agricultural lands and infrastructure. (IFRC, June 29) Five people were killed in flash floods that hit Qarabagh and Farza districts in Kabul province on Monday (June 25). In Nirjab district, in Kapisa province, three people were killed and one left missing by floods. In Parwan province, five people were killed and eight others injured in Surkhparsa district. (IFRC, June 29) On Tuesday (June 26) floods hit Zormat, Ahmad Abad and Jaji Ayob districts in Paktya province, killing five people. In Ajrestan, Khogyani and Zankham districts in Ghazni province, two children were killed and several others injured. (IFRC, June 29) On Wednesday (June 27), floods in Kabul city left three children dead and injured two others. Three others are reported to be missing. (IFRC, June 29)

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	Taliban militants released four kidnapped Afghan health workers in Helmand province in exchange for the body of Taliban leader, Mullah Dadullah – one other hostage was beheaded. (Reuters, Thursday, June 7) At least two policemen were killed in a roadside bomb blast in Kandahar and another policeman was killed in a similar incident in Zabul on Thursday (June 7). (BBC, June 8) At least 30 Taliban fighters were killed when US-led helicopter gunships sank their boat on the Helmand River on Tuesday (June 5) (AP, June 5) As many as 60 suspected Taliban fighters were killed on Saturday (June 2) when their makeshift boat sank on the Helmand River. (AP, BBC, June 4) Suspected Taliban militants stormed into the house of a police commander in Ghazni, killing his wife, two sons and two nephews. (AP, June 1)
Water & Sanitation	UNICEF
Comments	Support for Spin Boldak camps terminated in 2004.

Western Region

Location	Western Region
Coordination	UNHCR; ICMC
Population	According to the IFRC, flash floods and avalanches in early March affected some 200 families in Herat city; 918 families in Gulran district; 35 families in Cheshte Sharif district; 150 families in Shindand district, 6,500 families in Badghis/Jawand and Murghab districts, and 20 families in Gour district. (IFRC, March 23) 12,000 IDPs, mostly in Maslakh camp
Movement IDPs	IOM
Food	IRC, CARITAS, UNICEF, World Vision, IOM, Action Contre la Faim; WFP;
Health
Non-Food Items (NFIs) – Shelter	UNHCR, Iranian Red Crescent, UNICEF, IOM, Ockenden Int’l, MSF, IMC;
Security	According to reports on Thursday (July 5), a German national and his Afghan translator, who went missing last Thursday (June 28) while traveling from the southern city of Kandahar to the western city of Herat, have reportedly been released. The two men were reportedly at the office of the district police chief in Delaram district in Farah province. (BBC, July 5) On Friday (July 6), insurgents attacked an Afghan security patrol, injuring five Afghan soldiers in Farah province. Afghan and coalition forces, using gunfire and airstrikes, killed “over 30 insurgents,” the coalition said. (AP, July 6)
Water & Sanitation	UNICEF
Comments

Refugee Camps in Pakistan

Location	Long-term camps in Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA), NWFP, Baluchistan Province, and by capital, Islamabad; Mohamed Kheil 1 & 2 camps (85 km southwest of Quetta)
Type	Refugee Camps
Coordination	UNHCR