October 16, 2009

Overview

Afghan official says runoff election likely

Afghan President Hamid Karzai’s ambassador to the United States said Thursday (October 15), that a runoff vote is likely between incumbent Karzai and his closest challenger, former foreign minister Abdullah Abdullah. The ambassador, Said Tayeb Jawad, predicted the runoff election would follow an announcement by the UN-backed Electoral Complaints Commission (ECC), according to the Associated Press (AP) and the BBC. The ECC is looking into widespread fraud allegations in the August presidential elections and has been recounting around 10 percent of votes cast. A European Union monitoring team said after the elections that around 1.5 million ballots of the 5.6 million cast have indications of fraud. On Sunday (October 11) the head of the UN Mission in Afghanistan, Kai Eide, also acknowledged there had been “widespread fraud.” Provisional results of the election show President Karzai with 54.6 percent of the vote and Abdullah, with 27.7 percent of the vote. If a significant number of ballots are thrown out by the ECC, it could reduce Karzai’s lead below the 50 percent plus one vote threshold and trigger the run-off. According to the Associated Press (AP), Jawad said that all parties should work hard to hold the runoff quickly and that it would be ideal to hold it within a month, saying that a two-week deadline mandated in the constitution is “impossible.” According to the AP, he worried that if it were held too far into November, the weather would be too cold in some parts of Afghanistan. “But if it’s delayed to spring, this is clearly a recipe for disaster – this creates a lot of confusion, a lot of indecisiveness and also further complicated relations,” with the outside world, the BBC quoted Jawad as saying. According to media reports, the ECC may release its findings as early as Saturday (October 17).

US to deploy additional 13,000 support troops this year

The Pentagon is reportedly deploying an additional 13,000 US troops to Afghanistan, according to a report by the Washington Post this week. The number is above the 21,000 troops President Barack Obama announced in March that he would be sending this year. According to the Post, the additional troops are primarily support troops and includes engineers, medical staff, intelligence experts and military police. “The 21,000 are only combat forces, and when the combat forces go in, there are a certain amount of additional forces that are required,” the Post quoted Pentagon spokesperson Bryan Whitman as saying. There are currently some 65,000 US troops in Afghanistan. Obama’s administration is continuing to debate over a troop request by top US and NATO commander in Afghanistan Gen Stanley Mc Chrystal who has reportedly requested up to an additional 40,000 troops. On Wednesday (October 15), UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown said that the UK will send 500 more troops to Afghanistan, which will increase British troop levels in the country to 9,500, according to media reports. The UK has the second-largest troop contingent in the country, next to the US, according to CNN. According to the BBC, Brown said that the troops would only be sent if certain conditions were met, including that they have the necessary equipment, if other NATO countries increase their troop numbers and more Afghan troops are trained. There are also 150 British reserve troops in the country, which could be available for future deployments, the BBC reported the Ministry of Defense as saying. Meanwhile, in an interview to the Le Figaro newspaper published Thursday (October 15), French President Nicholas Sarkozy said that French troops will stay in Afghanistan, but France will not send any additional troops at this time. France has 2,900 soldiers in the country and is the fourth largest contributor to the ISAF. Separately, Japan said that it will end its refueling mission in support of the US-led operation in Afghanistan. According to the BBC, Japanese Defense Minister Toshimi Kitazawa said that the mission would end “based on the law” when its legal mandate expires in January. He suggested that Japan could provide continued support in an alternative form, the BBC reported. Japan has provided fuel and logistical support for US forces in the Indian Ocean for some eight years. The mission has been controversial domestically, with some critics saying Tokyo’s involvement violates Japan’s pacifist constitution. According to the BBC, Japan’s new government won elections in August on promises to pursue a foreign policy with greater independence from the US. According to the BBC, Kitazawa said that Japan had “no plans” to propose an extension to lawmakers. According to the BBC, Japan has suggested it could provide alternative support to civilian operations.

Afghan NGOs call for improvements in health, education and human rights

A group of 16 Afghan and international NGOs and civil society organizations have called for improvements in health, education and human rights sectors, the UN’s Integrated Regional Information Networks (IRIN) reported. In a press release on Thursday (October 15), the group said “Afghanistan’s next government must urgently devote greater resources to building up to 6,000 new schools, training upwards of 5,000 new midwives and professionalizing the police force to improve the lives of ordinary Afghans. The situation is critical and demands urgent action from the Afghan government and other key stakeholders,” the statement from the NGOs said. The group also called the country’s recent presidential elections “flawed.” The memo from the NGOs criticizes the government for rampant corruption and weak institutions that have hindered essential services, particularly in rural areas, IRIN reported. The group also criticized donors and international organizations for an alleged preference for “quick impact projects,” as well as for weak coordination and less than effective approaches, according to IRIN. The NGOs also highlighted the need for reform in governance. The NGOs praised progress in health, education, and women’s rights over the past eight years.

Movement

2008: The UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) held a press conference in Kabul on December-15. Nilab Mobarez from the UNAMA Spokesperson’s Office reported that the Afghan Ministry of Refugees and Repatriation and UNHCR just published the first national IDP profiling report. Findings of the report include that the various conflicts and natural disasters in Afghanistan in the last decade have uprooted about 1.2 million people. Currently, about 235,000 people are estimated to be displaced within Afghanistan. According to the report, aid agencies and the Afghan government must focus on local integration to help bring long-term displacement to an end. (UNAMA, December-15)

According to UNHCR, fewer Afghan refugees are returning home, while more people are leaving the country for better jobs and security, a trend that may increase regional tension. More than 5 million of 8 million Afghan refugees have returned home since 2002, but the number of those returning is falling, according to UNHCR. Amid pressure from Iran and Pakistan to send home millions of refugees, representatives from UNHCR, about 30 countries and international organizations met in Kabul in mid-November to mobilize support for the sustained return and reintegration of the refugees. (AFP, BBC, Nov-19)

UNHCR said in the first week of October that some 251,800 registered Afghan refugees in Pakistan and Iran had returned to their homes so far in 2008. Most of those repatriated (248,951) under the UN-assisted voluntary repatriation campaign came from Pakistan, while Iran accounted for 2,929 returns. (UNHCR, Oct-7)

2007: UNHCR temporarily suspends the 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 is 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 said voluntary repatriation of Afghan refugees in Pakistan that are without proof of registration (PoR) ended in April, and refugees remaining in the country without PoR are now considered illegal and subject to government action.

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 closed 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 percent of returnees from Pakistan were from cities and 30 percent from camps. Over a third returned to Kabul, another 10 percent went to other central provinces, and just over 20 percent returned to each of the north and east.  The Southern region received 6 percent and the Western region 4 percent. 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 percent were from urban areas; only 3 percent 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
IDP Movement	No New Information
Food	There have been at least six attacks on World Food Program (WFP) food convoys in 2008, and WFP temporarily suspended food delivery to Daikundi province.(IRIN, May-28)
Health	No New Information
NFIs -Shelter	No New Information IOM, UNICEF, UNOCHA, & OXFAM
Water & Sanitation	No New Information UNICEF
Security	Two civilians, a woman and a school-age girl, were killed in crossfire during a raid by security forces against militants in the central province of Ghazni on Friday (October 16). (CNN, Oct-16) Unspecified numbers of Taliban fighters were killed by international security forces in an operation in central Wardak province on Friday. (CNN, Oct-16) Afghan army and US-led coalition forces killed 11 insurgents in an offensive in Ghazni province. (Reuters, Oct-14) Afghan and international forces detained several militants responsible for making roadside bombs in central Logar province.  (Reuters, Oct-10) Two civilians were killed and 25 wounded when a rocket fired by militants struck a bus in Qara Bagh district in central province of Ghazni on Wednesday. (October 7). (Reuters, Oct-7) Three Afghan policemen were killed when their vehicle hit a roadside bomb in Qara Bagh district in Ghazni. (Reuters, Oct-7) Afghan and foreign forces killed 15 Taliban militants during a joint security sweep in the Char Chino district in central Uruzgan province on Wednesday (September 23).  (Reuters, Sep-24) Afghan and foreign forces killed three Taliban fighters, including a local commander, in Uruzgan province late Tuesday (September 15).  (Reuters, Sep-16) 14 civilians were killed after a roadside bomb hit two passenger cars on September 11, the Interior Ministry reported. The provincial police chief put the death toll at 12. (Reuters, Sept-12)
Comments

East Central Region

Location	East Central Region
Coordination	UNHCR
Population
IDP Movement	The Afghan Ministry of Labor, Social Affairs, Martyrs and Disabled (MoLSAMD) and the International Organization for Migration (IOM) agreed to work together towards creating sustainable livelihoods for 2,000 recent Afghan returnees from neighboring countries. About 640,000 Afghans have returned from Iran and Pakistan this year. (IOM, Dec-16)
Food	The UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) reported on December 9 that increasing attacks on food convoys by insurgents are leading to a food crisis. The attacks force convoys to take longer routes, thus increasing the cost of transportation and the food itself. Most food prices are already far beyond the reach of ordinary people. Aid agencies fear that the food crisis could exacerbate child malnutrition throughout the country. (UNICEF, Dec-9)
Health	No New Information UNICEF, CARITAS, MSF, IFRC, IRC, ICRC
Non-Food Items - Shelter	No New Information UNHCR, ACTED, MSF, IRC, ICRC, IOM
Security	Six people were killed and two wounded when a suicide bomber targeted a local security firm in Wazi Zadran district in eastern Paktia province. (Reuters, Oct-9) A suicide car bomb exploded outside the Indian Embassy in capital, Kabul, around 8:30 a.m. local time on Thursday (October 8), killing at least 17 people, 15 civilians and 2 policemen and wounding as many as 80 others. Taliban claimed responsibility for the bombing (KT, AP, Oct-8)  Joint forces killed and detained an unspecified number of suspected militants during an operation against Taliban in Kabul. Suspects were believed to be behind a series of attacks in Kabul. (Reuters, Oct-7) Afghan officials said that police foiled a series of bomb attacks aimed at destroying bridges and other facilities in several parts of the country. (Reuters, Sep-27) A car bomb struck an Italian military convoy on Thursday (September 17) on the road between the US embassy and Kabul’s main airport, killing six soldiers and as many as 10 Afghan civilians. As many as 55 Afghan civilians were also wounded.  (Reuters, AFP, Sep-17) A US soldier and his interpreter were wounded when Afghan National Police fired on them in Kabul on Saturday (September 12), the US military said. One of the police officers was killed. (CNN, September 13) At least two people were killed and six wounded in a suicide car bomb attack outside a NATO military base at Kabul’s main airport on Tuesday (September 8). Taliban claimed responsibility for the attack which was aimed at foreign troops.  (Reuters, Sep-8) Police said that a rocket hit a residential area in Kabul, killing a married couple and a child, and wounding two other family members on Monday (September 7). (Reuters, Sep-7) A second French soldier died of wounds suffered in a roadside bomb in Kapisa province on Friday (September 4) the French Defense Ministry said Sunday (September 6). (Reuters, Sep-6) A French soldier was killed and nine others were wounded, some seriously, when a roadside bomb struck their vehicle northeast of the provincial capital, Kabul, during a reconnaissance mission near Showki region in Kapisa province between the coalition bases of Nijrab and Baghram on Friday (September 4).  (AFP, Xinhua, Sep-4)
Water & Sanitation	An agreement has been signed between the UNHCR and the Ministry of Rural Rehabilitation and Development (MRRD) to provide safe drinking water for Afghan returnees from Pakistan and Iran, as well as IDPs. (UNHCR, Sep. 24)
Comments	No new information

Eastern Region

Location	Eastern Region
Coordination	UNHCR, International Islamic Relief Organization;
Population
IDP Movement	UNHCR
Food	NATO-led ISAF PRT transported water pipes for a nearly seven-mile-long planned water supply project in Baghlan province.  (NATO, Aug-23) IRC
Health	No New Information
Non-Food Items - Shelter	US Provincial Reconstruction Team (PRT) on September 17 delivered more than 4,000 pounds of supplies, including blankets, pots and pans, tarps, hygiene and dental kits, sandals and backpacks to more than 500 widows, orphans and disabled persons in the provincial capital Asadabad in northeastern Kunar province.  (AFPS, Sep-25)
Security	Afghan and foreign forces killed six Taliban insurgents, including a local commander, during an air and ground assault overnight in Kamdesh district in eastern Nuristan province. (Reuters, Oct-10) A roadside bomb killed two soldiers serving with the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) in eastern Afghanistan.  (Reuters, Oct-10) US and Afghan forces accidentally killed a child during a raid on a Taliban compound Wednesday (October 7) night in the eastern Logar province.  (AP, Oct-8) Afghan and NATO-led forces killed at least 40 militants in eastern Nuristan province on Tuesday (October 6) where eight US and two Afghan soldiers have lost their lives in an attack by the militants on Saturday. Forces also freed 13 Afghan policemen that were captured during Saturday’s fighting. Ten Afghan soldiers were killed in Tuesday’s fighting that used close air support. (BBC, AP, Oct-7) Eight US and three Afghan soldiers were killed on Saturday (October 3) when hundreds of Taliban stormed two remote US bases in the Kamdesh district in eastern Nuristan province.  (Reuters, Oct-5)
Water & Sanitation	CARITAS; ICRC, UNICEF
Comments	As many as 40 people were killed in two earthquakes that struck Nangarhar province early Friday (April 17) morning. More than 60 people were wounded and over 200 houses damaged, according to preliminary reports. (VOA, Reuters, AFP, Apr-17)

Northeastern Region

Location	Northeastern Region
Coordination
Population
Movement IDPs	9,000 active IDPs in North and Northeast
Food	No New Information
Health	Afghan officials and the medical team assigned to the Provincial Reconstruction Team (PRT) in Panjshir province coordinated with local leaders in two districts to augment health care to 563 people. (GoUSA, Oct. 23) WHO, Merlin, UNICEF, MSF; ICRC
Non-Food Items (NFIs) -Shelter	UNICEF, ACTED, Refugees Int’l, Mercy Corps
Security
Water & Sanitation	No New Information
Comments	Three French soldiers were killed in a violent storm in northeastern Kapisa province.  (BBC, Sep-27)

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	No New Information IOM
Food	No New Information
Health	No New Information MSF, ICRC, UNICEF
NFIs –Shelter	No New Information IOM, ACTED, Mercy Corps
Security	Taliban insurgents stormed a clinic in the rugged Sar-i-Pul province, seizing eight health workers, including women.  (Reuters, Oct-13) Taliban fighters attacked a police post in northern Faryab province overnight and abducted eight police officers.  (Reuters, Oct-13) Afghan troops detained 18 militants in two separate operations overnight in the northern province of Kunduz.  (Reuters, Oct-10) An Afghan police officer was killed when an explosive device planted on his car went off in the city of Kunduz.  (Reuters, Oct-10) One civilian was killed and another wounded when foreign forces working for the NATO-led force fired on their vehicle in Kunduz. (Reuters, Sep-28) Afghan police killed seven Taliban insurgents during a clash in Kunduz on Saturday (September 26). (Reuters, Sep-27) Afghan police killed 18 insurgents and wounded 10 others during a long gun battle in the Dashte Archi district of Kunduz province overnight. (Reuters, Sep-26) Afghan forces killed 15 Taliban insurgents after an attack by militants overnight Tuesday (September 15) in the Imam Sahib district of the northern province of Kunduz. Three police were also wounded in the clash.  (Reuters, Sep-16)
Water & Sanitation	No New Information UNICEF, ICRC, DACAAR
Comments	The European Commission’s Humanitarian aid Office and the NGO ActionAid launched a cash for work program in northern Afghanistan on October 22 aimed at providing about 5,000 families with enough food to cover half of their daily requirements through the winter. The program is active in 40 villages in Jawzjan Province’s Darzab and Qushtepa districts, and in Balkh province’s Dawlatabad and Kaldar districts. (ActionAid, Oct-22)

Southern Region

Location	Southern Region
Coordination	UNHCR
Population
Movement of IDPs	Intense military operations against Afghan insurgents in southern Helmand province, especially in Musa Qala district, have caused hundreds of families to flee their homes to neighboring districts and the provincial capital, Lashkargah. (IRIN, Dec-6)
Food	No New Information UNICEF; Mercy Corps; CARITAS; WFP
Health	NATO reported on December-14 that hundreds of people received medical care and humanitarian assistance in Zabul province. Members of the Zabul Provincial Reconstruction Team (PRT), the Afghan Army and coalition forces participated in the operation. (NATO, Dec-14) Members of the Zabul PRT and of the Kentucky Army National Guard delivered four pre-fabricated medical containers to the Atgar district center. The delivery will help to improve the health care capacity in the province that has only one health care provider so far. (NATO, Dec-6)
NFIs - Shelter	No New Information UNHCR, Mercy Corps
Security	Security forces detained more than a dozen Taliban insurgents in Paktika province on Friday (October 16). (DPA, Oct-16) Four US soldiers were killed in a roadside bomb attack in southern Afghanistan that took place on Thursday (October 15). Two of the soldiers died on the spot, while two of the wounded later died in hospital. NATO did not disclose further details of the attack.  (CNN, Oct-16) Afghan and NATO-led forces killed a militant in a joint operation in southern Zabul province on Wednesday (October 14).  (Reuters, Oct-14) A US-led coalition helicopter made an emergency landing in southern Afghanistan on Tuesday (October 13). No one was hurt in the incident. Officials ruled out hostile fire as the cause of the incident. (Reuters, Oct-14) Afghan and US-led coalition forces killed 30 Taliban insurgents in an operation in Chora district of southern Uruzgan (also spelled Oruzgan) province. The operation is continuing. (Reuters, Oct-14) A roadside bomb killed two Afghan soldiers and wounded six others in Zabul. (Reuters, Oct-14) A US soldier died of his wounds sustained in a roadside bomb attack in southern Afghanistan on Friday (October 8).  (Reuters, Oct-10) A district police chief and a district official were killed when a roadside bomb struck their vehicle in the Shah Khil district in Paktika province on Saturday. (Reuters, Oct-10) A soldier serving with the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) died of his wounds sustained in a roadside bomb attack in southern Afghanistan on Thursday (October 8). (Reuters, Oct-9) Three children were killed when a roadside bomb given to them by insurgents exploded as they tried to plant it in Zhari district in southern Kandahar province. (Reuters, Oct-7) Two US soldiers were killed after an attack by a suicide bomber on their convoy Friday (October 2) in southern Afghanistan. A US military spokesperson confirmed the deaths, but did not say where the incident occurred. (AP, BBC, Oct-2) The British Ministry of Defense said that a British airman was killed Thursday (October 1) from a bomb attack while on patrol near Camp Bastion in southern Helmand province. (AP, BBC, Oct-2) On Wednesday (September 30) a Dutch war plane carried out an airstrike that killed four Taliban fighters and nine civilians in Nad Ali district in Helmand province. (AFP, Oct-2)
Water & Sanitation	No New Information UNICEF
Comments	British Prime Minister Gordon Brown said on December-13, that Britain will help Afghanistan with upcoming elections and has also offered to set up a task force to fight corruption. Britain plans to give Afghanistan US$10 million to register voters for next year’s elections. (CNN, Dec-15) On December-19 Tooryalai Wesa, an Afghan-Canadian academic, accepted the post of governor in southern Kandahar province. (AP, Dec-19)

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	No New Information
Food	No New Information WFP
Health	No New Information UNICEF, MSF
NFIs – Shelter	No New Information
Security	No New Information
Water & Sanitation	No New Information UNICEF
Comments	Support for Spin Boldak camps terminated in 2004.

Western Region

Location	Western Region
Coordination	UNHCR; ICMC
Population	No New Information
Movement IDPs	12,000 IDPs, mostly in Maslakh camp IOM
Food	No New Information IRC, CARITAS, UNICEF, World Vision, IOM, Action Contre la Faim; WFP
Health	At least three people were killed in an outbreak of highly contagious Viral Hemorrhagic Fever in Herat city that was first reported on August 25, according to the Ministry of Public Health. Officials confirmed 10 suspected cases as of August 27 and said most of the infected were butchers, shepherds or others involved with animals. The patients were put in quarantine. (IRIN, Aug-27)
Non-Food Items (NFIs) – Shelter	No New Information
Security	Afghan and NATO-led troops killed a number of insurgents during an air and ground assault during an operation in the western Guzara district in Herat province on Friday (October 9). (Reuters, Oct-9) One Spanish soldier was killed and five others wounded on Wednesday (October 7) when their vehicle struck a roadside bomb near Syah Washan, located close to the western city of Herat.  Troops were part of an 11-vehicle convoy. (CNN, Oct-7) The Taliban hung a man they accused of being a government spy in Bala Murghab district in northwestern Badghis province on Saturday (September 26). (Reuters, Sep-28) Two Taliban fighters were killed and two Afghan soldiers wounded when Taliban gunmen attacked an Afghan army convoy in the village of Shewan in western Farah province. (Reuters, Sep-28) The Afghan power and water minister survived a Taliban bomb strike on a road in western Herat province on Sunday (September 27). The attack killed three people and wounded 16 others. (Reuters, Sep-27) A roadside bomb killed five civilians in an area in Farah. (Reuters, Sep-27) One policeman was shot dead and another wounded when Taliban gunmen attacked a police checkpoint in western Herat province, some 100 meters from the border with Iran. (Reuters, Sep-26) Three men were shot dead and one other was wounded by Taliban militants after Friday prayers in Guzara district in Herat on September 26. (Reuters, Sep-26) A roadside bomb wounded seven people, including a provincial intelligence chief, four of his bodyguards and two civilians, in the western city of Farah.  (Reuters, Sep-24) Five civilians were killed and two others wounded when their car was hit by a roadside bomb in Gulistan district in Farah province on Tuesday (September 22).  (Reuters, Sep-23) Taliban militants stormed the home of an Afghan police officer in Guzara district in Herat, killing his teenage son and wounding his wife and daughter.  (Reuters, Sep-23) Three insurgents were killed when a roadside bomb they were planting in a dirt road exploded in the western Khash Rod district in southwestern Nimroz province.  (Reuters, Sep-23) A suicide bomber and two accomplices were killed late on Monday (September 21) when the bomber’s vest exploded prematurely as he was preparing to attack foreign forces near Delaram district in Nimroz.  (Reuters, Sep-22)
Water & Sanitation	No New Information 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	Afghanistan, Pakistan and UNHCR on August 2 extended the tripartite agreement governing the voluntary repatriation of registered Afghans from Pakistan through December 2009. The agreement provides a legal and operational framework for the process. To date, more than 3 million Afghans have returned from Pakistan under the voluntary repatriation program since 2002. This year, more than 300,000 Afghans have returned. (UNHCR, GOP, Aug-2)
Camp Capacity	About one million mostly long term Afghans in 74 camps—down from about 200 camps.
Population	2.05 million registered Afghans remaining in Pakistan; 63 camps in NWFP, 12 in Baluchistan; and one million elsewhere; Many occupants are long-term residents or were born in Pakistan. (UNHCR, Aug-2) Jungle Pir Alizai (Balochistan): 36,000, originally scheduled to close June 15. Kacha Gari (NWFP): original population of 64,811, officially closed July 26 – 37,000 repatriated. (UNHCR, July-27) Jalozai (NWFP): 109,934, originally scheduled to close August 31.  UNHCR on August 22 requested Pakistan to temporarily suspend the camp’s closure due to insufficient time for some 100,000 people to move and settle into new places in the face of the fast approaching Ramadan and winter season. (UNHCR, Aug-22)  The deadline was extended to April 15 due to the impending winter. According to IRIN, at least 352 have left Jalozai so far in March.  (IRIN, Mar-20) Girdi Jungle (Balochistan): 17,844, scheduled to close August 31. (IRIN, June-14)
Refugee Movement	No New Information
Food	No New Information WFP, CRS, ARC
Health	No New Information UNICEF, MSF
Non-Food Items (NFIs) - Shelter	No New Information CRS
Security	No New Information
Water & Sanitation	No New Information IFRC, MDM
Comments	No New Information