November 2, 2007

 

Overview

 

UN calls for safe passage for humanitarian aid to restive parts of Afghanistan

The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) is urging the country's warring factions to allow safe passage to humanitarian aid convoys delivering vital relief aid to the most vulnerable people in remote areas of the country, before access is blocked by winter snow. Speaking to reporters on Monday (October 29) in the Afghan capital, Kabul, the special representative of the UN Secretary-General Tom Koenigs said, "Food shortages and the winter could produce a human catastrophe" in food insecure parts of the country if food aid is not delivered in a timely manner.” The head of the UN World Food Program (WFP) in Afghanistan, Rick Corsino, estimates some 400,000 vulnerable people in the remote mountainous central-west, central and northeastern regions are in urgent need of food ahead of the fast-approaching winter. He said WFP is facing serious security problems in restive parts of Afghanistan, particularly along a major ring road connecting the south and the west. He said Badghis, Daikundi and Ghor provinces most urgently need food aid before the first snowfall. Corsino said some 14,000 metric tons of mixed food needs to be delivered in Ghor province before late November. He stated that compared to 2006, WFP has adequate food supplies, and added that security was the biggest obstacle in delivering aid to food-insecure people. According to Corsino, there has been no UN movement of food between the southern province of Kandahar and the western province of Herat for the past six weeks. Noting the increasing insecurity, Corsino compared the five attacks on WFP convoys last year (2006) to the 30 attacks so far this year (2007). Koenigs said, "Insurgents and criminal gangs have killed or abducted 110 aid workers and 55 humanitarian convoys have been looted this year. Those responsible for these attacks are pushing the most vulnerable people outside of our reach. Such attacks are a clear violation of international humanitarian law and they must stop. We need all parties to recognize that the humanitarian needs of the Afghan people must come first, above fighting and above politics." He added, "We want and need a humanitarian space to reach communities."

 

Deadly fighting continues in Afghanistan's conflict-ridden south and west

This was another bloody week in Afghanistan where scores of people, mostly militants, were killed in separate clashes with Afghan and NATO-led security forces. NATO, in conjunction with Afghan security forces, launched a major military operation across the country’s restive south and east. Major battles took place in Argandab district near Kandahar, Nad Ali in southern Helmand, Khas Kunar in eastern Kunar, Tirin Kot in central Uruzgan, Bati Kot in eastern Nangarhar, and Bakwa and Guliastan districts in western Farah province. Security forces claim to have killed nearly 300 insurgents in separate battles this week, however, Taliban insurgents dispute the government’s claims. In the latest violence, the Taliban attacked another district in Farah on Wednesday night (October 31). Mohammad Gul Sarjang, a provincial spokesman, claimed that government forces killed some 30 Taliban militants in a six-hour battle in Bakwa district. Two Afghan soldiers were also reportedly killed in the clash. Separately, five Afghan policemen were killed in an ambush at a police checkpoint in Nad Ali district in southern Helmand province on Thursday (November 1). The US-led coalition forces also claim to have killed several Taliban insurgents near the provincial capital, Tirin Kot, in southern Uruzgan province. Meanwhile, NATO-led Canadian troops said they have halted a Taliban offensive in Argandab city near the provincial capital in Kandahar. However, sporadic fighting continues in the area, which has prompted hundreds of villagers to flee Argandab. In other news, two women and a child were reportedly killed by US-led coalition forces in Bati Kot district in eastern Nangarhar province Wednesday night when coalition troops returned fire after being shot at from a compound. This year has seen the worst violence in Afghanistan since 2001.

 

Japan withdraws naval support for US-led coalition operations in Afghanistan

Japan ended its naval mission in support of the US-led coalition operation in Afghanistan yesterday (Thursday, November 1), following a political impasse in the parliament. The decision will end Japan's refueling support for the US warships in the Indian Ocean that it has been providing since 2001. Nobutake Machimura, chief Cabinet spokesman said, "The government will make its utmost effort ... to resume an important mission in the Indian Ocean." Japan's mission has been marred by allegations that Japan supplied far more fuel to US forces than officially recorded raising speculation that the government may have helped supply fuel for the US war in Iraq, not just its Afghan operations. The government of Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda is trying to revise Japan's constitution to allow for a more robust defense policy that the country's present constitution prohibits. Talks with the opposition Democratic Party fell through after it said it will only allow an extension of the present mission if it was part of a United Nations operation. Prime Minister Fukuda is scheduled to have another round of talks on the issue with opposition Democratic Party leader Ichiro Ozawa over the weekend. Thomas Schieffer, the US ambassador to Japan, has said that a permanent withdrawal of Japan's support will send the wrong signal to the international community and terrorists.

 

Movement

 

2007: UNHCR temporarily suspends Afghan voluntary repatriation campaign in Pakistan until March 2008 due to seasonal slowdown. (IRIN, Nov. 2). Pakistan has reportedly extended the deadline to close Jalozai camp until March 2008. (IRIN, Sep. 4). The UNHCR has asked Pakistan to temporarily suspend closure of Jalozai refugee camp in the North West Frontier Province (NWFP) that was originally scheduled to be closed on August 31. UNHCR said due to the fast approaching Muslim holy month of Ramadan and winter season, conditions were not conducive for the return of some 100,000 camp residents. UNHCR said any forceful return of these refugees could lead to secondary displacement.

 

Pakistan to close all Afghan refugee camps by December 2009 and to repatriate all refugees living in the country. UNHCR says it has repatriated over 306,000 Afghan refugees from Pakistan so far this year under its voluntary repatriation campaign. (UNHCR, Aug. 10)

 

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

 

 

East Central Region