December 22, 2006

Overview

Afghan member of parliament escapes assassination attempt

Padshah Khan Zadran, an Afghan member of parliament from eastern Paktia province, escaped an assassination attempt today (Friday, December 22) in the capital Kabul, when a suicide bomber threw himself at the politician's car, killing one civilian and wounding seven others including three of Zadran's bodyguards. According to police officials, the assassination attempt against Zadran comes just a day after authorities had foiled another plot against him. No one has claimed responsibility for the attack against Zadran. This is the first suicide bombing in Kabul since October, when a series of bombings killed 17 people, including NATO-led troops and Afghan children. Also earlier today, five policemen were killed in southern Uruzgan province when a remote-controlled bomb exploded near a police convoy. The continuing violence underscores the persistent insecurity across the country.

Afghan authorities detain two individuals on suspicion of spying for Pakistan

Afghan authorities are reportedly detaining two individuals on suspicion of spying for Pakistan. Afghan presidential spokesman Karim Rahimi told reporters in the Afghan capital, Kabul on Tuesday (December 19), that an agent for Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) was arrested in eastern Kunar province. Rahimi said a male Pakistani national identified as Sayed Akbar confessed to working for ISI, and managing relations between ISI and al-Qaeda leaders. Afghan authorities claim that the detained man had also confessed to escorting September 11 terrorist mastermind Osama Bin Laden from Afghanistan's Nuristan province to Chitral region in Pakistan last year (2005). On Monday (December 18), Afghan authorities arrested an Afghan army general, Khair Mohammad, for selling secrets to the ISI. He is being held on treason charges.

France to withdraw special forces but eases restrictions on troop redeployment

France will be withdrawing some 200 special forces troops in Afghanistan over the next few weeks. French Defense Minister Michele Alliot-Marie told reporters during his trip to Afghanistan on Sunday (December 17). The troops to be withdrawn are currently stationed in Jalalabad in eastern Nangarhar province as part of the US-led Operation Enduring Freedom. She also said, "We also foresee that our forces currently stationed in Kabul will be relocated to other regions according to the needs of our allies, to help in those situations where their presence will be necessary," and added that such deployment would be temporary. France currently has some 2,000 troops in Afghanistan, mainly as part of the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF). France has been against assuming a war-fighting role in Afghanistan and has in the past also been very reluctant to deploy troops to the country's restive south and east. However, last month NATO leaders agreed to ease restrictions on troop redeployment amid the deteriorating security across the country. The easing of restrictions on troop redeployment would allow commanders on the ground much needed flexibility to quickly send reinforcements to an area when fighting gets fierce.

Afghan refugee registration drive in Pakistan climbs over 1-million mark

The Afghan refugee registration campaign in Pakistan has climbed over the 1-million mark this week. According to Vivian Tan, spokeswoman for the office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), as of Tuesday (December 19), more than 1,030,000 had registered with Pakistan's National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) which is carrying out the UNHCR-funded US$6 million registration exercise. Tan said despite a slow start, the campaign has gathered momentum in its final weeks and currently some 28,000 Afghans are being registered daily at more than 50 fixed and mobile registration sites across the country. Pakistan's North West Frontier Province (NWFP) accounts for some 63 percent of the registrations while Baluchistan and Punjab provinces remain a distant second and third with 174,000 and 122,000 registrations. Some 48 percent of those registered are females and 51 percent are children aged 14 and below. The campaign, which began on October 15, is aimed at registering an estimated 2.8 million Afghan refugees in Pakistan by December 31, when it is due to end. During the campaign, Afghan refugees are provided with identity cards valid for three years, recognizing them as Afghan citizens living in the country temporarily. Officials hope to obtain a clear profile of the Afghan refugee population in the country to enable UNHCR and the Pakistani government to create suitable policies to manage the future of Afghan refugees in Pakistan. According to Pakistani officials, the registration campaign is the largest ever undertaken by a host government anywhere.

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

Location	Central Region
Coordination
Population
IDP Movement
Food
Health	FAO confirms H5N1 subtype of bird flu virus in Logar ICRC, IMC, MSF;
NFIs -Shelter	IOM, UNICEF, UNOCHA, & OXFAM
Water & Sanitation	UNICEF
Security	New Zealand PRT in Bamiyan;
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	Florida state guards deliver 2,000 blankets, 1,000 soccer balls and basic school supplies for hundreds of orphaned children in Kabul. (USG, Nov. 30). IRC, Action Contra la Faim; WFP;
Health	Afghan President Hamid Karzai and Chinese Ambassador to Afghanistan Liu Jian on Thursday laid the foundation stone for the US$15.69 million China-funded new main Jamhuriat Hospital building in Afghan capital Kabul. (Xinhua, Nov. 2) UNICEF, CARITAS, MSF, IFRC, IRC, ICRC;
Non-Food Items - Shelter	UNHCR, ACTED, MSF, IRC, ICRC, IOM;
Security	At least 1 person was killed and 6 others injured in a failed suicide assassination attempt against an Afghan member of parliament in Kabul (BBC, Reuters, Dec. 22)
Water & Sanitation	ICRC;
Comments	Turkish-led PRT to begin operations in Wardak (also spelled Vardak) province today (Nov. 9). The PRT will focus on providing health care, education, police training and agricultural alternatives to local farmers. (AFPS, Nov.5)

Eastern Region

Location	Eastern Region
Coordination	UNHCR, International Islamic Relief Organization;
Population	More than 13,000 people displaced due to flooding in the region. (IRIN, August 10) 17,000 active IDPs in East
IDP Movement	UNHCR
Food	IRC;
Health	One confirmed case of Polio in Rodat district in Nangarhar. (UNAMA, Nov. 6). Afghan Ministry of Health launches in conjunction with UNICEF and WHO launches vaccination campaign for polio, tetanus and measles in Paktia, Paktika and Khost. (IRIN, Nov.1) MSF, IMC, WHO, ICRC, UNICEF
Non-Food Items - Shelter	CWS, UNICEF
Security	Three Afghan policemen were killed and several others wounded in an attack aimed at a convoy of foreign troops in Khost province. (BBC, Reuters, Dec. 22)
Water & Sanitation	CARITAS; ICRC, UNICEF
Comments	Flash floods caused by torrential rains killed at least nine people in eastern Nangarhar, damaging some 50 houses and affecting 156 families. (IRIN, Nov 22)

Northeastern Region

Location	Northeastern Region
Coordination
Population	9,000 active IDPs in North and Northeast
Movement IDPs
Food	USAID is providing 27,010 metric tons of food worth some US$16 million to help feed some 2.5 million people. The new pledge is in response to a joint UN-Afghan appeal issued last month. (IRIN, August 4) WFP sends 22 tons of food assistance to 1,930 beneficiaries in flood-affected Garziwan district in northern Faryab province, eight tons of food to Doshi district in Baghlan province and 1.4 tons of food relief to flood victims in Kohistanat district in Saripul. (IRIN, May 9) OXFAM, UNICEF, World Concern;
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	Two Afghan workers gunned down and another wounded in Chimtal district in northern Balkh province on Thursday (June 8) yesterday by unidentified gunmen. (AP, June 9) Four aid workers working for the international aid organization Action Aid, including three women and their driver, were gunned down by unidentified gunmen in the provincial capital of Shiberghan in Jowzjan province. (AP, BBC, May 30) Three Afghans working for the US-based Planning and Development Collaborative International (PADCO) were killed and two American workers wounded when their car was hit by a roadside bomb in Badakhshan. (Reuters, May 30)
Comments	Torrential rain and ensuing floods have killed at least 7 people in northern Baghlan province (IRIN, July 5).

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	According to the Institute of War and Peace Reporting (IWPR) many people in northwestern Badghis province are migrating to other areas, due to the region’s worst drought in five years. (IWPR, July 13). FEWS projects sufficient water for good winter wheat crop in north; ACTED, ACF, FOCUS, OXFAM, IOM, Save the Children; Officials deliver flood aid to some 500 affected families in Khuran Wa sarbagh district in Samangan province (April 26, IRIN).
Health	MSF, ICRC, UNICEF;
NFIs –Shelter	IOM, ACTED, Mercy Corps
Security	A male and a female reporter working for Germany’s state-owned Deutsch Welle news were gunned down on the outskirts of a small village in northern Baghlan province on the fifth anniversary of the US-led war on terror in Afghanistan on Saturday (October 7). (HT, AP, Oct. 10)
Water & Sanitation	UNICEF, ICRC, DACAAR
Comments

Southern Region

Location	Southern Region
Coordination	UNHCR
Population	Some 2,000-3,000 people displaced in Panjwai district due to continuing violence. (IOM, May 26) 125,000 active IDPs in South; most in Zhare Dasht and Panjwai camps
Movement of IDPs
Food	UNICEF; Mercy Corps; CARITAS; WFP;
Health	The Kandahar Provincial Reconstruction Team (PRT) conducted a village medical outreach patrol on Sunday (Nov. 19) at the Forward Operating Base (FOB) Martello in the Sha Wali Kot District of Kandahar Province. (NATO, Nov. 22) Cases of polio surface in southern provinces of Kandahar, Helmand, Zabul and Uruzgan this year. (UNAMA, Nov.6)
NFIs - Shelter	UNHCR, Mercy Corps;
Security	Five Afghan policemen were killed when a remote-controlled bomb targeted a police convoy in Uruzgan province. (BBC, Reuters, Dec. 22) NATO-led forces claim to have killed 50 suspected Taliban militants in Kandahar and Helmand this week. (AP, CNN, Reuters, Dec. 20)
Water & Sanitation	UNICEF
Comments	Flash floods killed at least 50 people in Choraee, Khas Uruzgan, Char Chino and Dehrawat districts in Uruzgan province. (IRIN, AFP, Nov. 22,33). PRT in Kandahar completes US$30,000 repair work on Shams-E-Dinkar High School in Panjwayi Bazaar. (NATO, Nov. 13).

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	One case of polio reported in Farah. (UNAMA, Nov. 6) Bulgaria to send two medical experts to join eight Bulgarian medics at a Spanish field hospital in Herat as part of ISAF support. (GORB, Sep. 21) MSF, MDM, Order of Malta, CHA, IbniSina, HRS; ICRC; UNICEF;
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	At least four civilians were killed and at least four others wounded in a roadside bomb attack aimed at a senior police official in Herat (Reuters, Dec. 21)
Water & Sanitation	UNICEF
Comments	Flash floods triggered by torrential rains killed at least 66 people in Badghis, along the Murghab River, affecting some 3,515 families and causing significant loss to livestock. Some 100 still missing. (OCHA, Nov. 23)

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	Refugee registration drive in Pakistan climbed over the 1 million mark this week. (UNHCR, AP, Dec. 19)