December 4, 2009

Overview

US President Obama to send 30,000 extra troops to Afghanistan

US President Barack Obama on Tuesday (December 1) announced he would deploy around 30,000 more troops to Afghanistan as part of a new strategy that Obama says is not intended to be open-ended. Obama also set a goal of starting to bring troops back home by July 2011, according to media reports. “As commander in chief, I have determined that it is in our vital national interest to send an additional 30,000 US troops to Afghanistan. After 18 months, our troops will begin to come home. These are the resources that we need to seize the initiative while building the Afghan capacity that can allow for a responsible transition of our forces out of Afghanistan,” CNN quoted Obama as saying. The extra troops would boost US forces in Afghanistan to around 100,000. Obama discussed his long-awaited plans in an address Tuesday night from the US Military Academy at West Point. According to media reports, Obama told US military commanders on Sunday (November 29) that he had decided on a plan and gave orders to carry it out. According to Reuters, Obama also held a meeting with top advisors and briefed allies on his plans on Monday (November 30). According to Reuters, the cost of the extra troops could reach between US$20 – 40 billion. The new strategy will reportedly put greater emphasis on securing Afghan population centers, agricultural areas, transportation routes and an increase in the training of Afghan security forces to eventually assume control. According to the Associated Press (AP), Obama said the intention would be for US troops to begin leaving Afghanistan 18 months following the increase if conditions are right. Pentagon officials reportedly hope that NATO allies would eventually add up to 10,000 more troops and trainers. A counterterrorism campaign advocated by US Vice-President Joe Biden, involving the use of unmanned aerial drones and special operations troops to combat Taliban and al Qaeda fighters along the Afghanistan-Pakistan border, will also reportedly be combined with the new strategy, Reuters reported. According to NBC news, at least one group of Marines is expected to deploy within two to three weeks and would be in Afghanistan by Christmas.

NATO says at least 25 countries to send at least 7,000 extra troops to Afghanistan

NATO chief Anders Fogh Rasmussen on Friday (December 4) said that at least 25 countries will send at least 7,000 extra troops in support of the 30,000 extra troops US President Obama is sending to Afghanistan. “At least 25 countries will send more forces to the mission in 2010 ... They have offered around 7,000 forces with more to come,” CNN quoted Rasmussen as saying. At a NATO meeting in Brussels, Rasmussen said that in addition to the “clear pledges” already made, other countries are expected to announce contributions in coming weeks and months. Some major NATO countries, such as France and Germany, are reportedly waiting before announcing any new contributions. According to CNN, Rasmussen said that the new mandate would be more “Afghan centric” and would focus on protecting population centers and training Afghan security troops. “ISAF (International Security Assistance Force) will have at least 37,000 more soldiers in 2010 than it did this year. That is solidarity in action,” Rasmussen said. Currently there are 68,000 US troops operating under both NATO and US commands and some 42,000 non-US forces under NATO. Commenting on Obama’s announcement of a July 2011 date to begin withdrawing US troops, Rasmussen said the transition would be “conditions-based” in each province and only when Afghan troops were capable, CNN reported. British Prime Minister Gordon Brown on Monday (November 30) confirmed that the UK will send 500 more soldiers to Afghanistan in December as part of an increase in NATO-led troops. The extra troops would take Britain’s troop contribution in the country to 9,500. Italy’s Defense Minister Ignazio La Russa also this week confirmed reports that Italy would send around 1,000 extra troops. Italy currently has 3,200 troops in Afghanistan. Aside from Britain and Italy, larger new contributors include Poland, which has pledged 680 more troops, Portugal (150), Spain (200), Slovakia (250), Albania (125), Czech Republic (100), and Romania (100). Non-NATO members making the biggest new contributions, are Georgia, which is sending at least 900 troops, South Korea is sending 500 more troops, Australia (120) and Sweden (125), according to the AP and the BBC. There are 43 countries serving under the NATO-led ISAF.

US and Afghan troops launch southern offensive

On Friday (December 4), US Marines, and British and Afghan troops launched the first major offensive since US President Obama announced the new troop surge. Around 900 US Marines and British troops, as well as more than 150 Afghan troops, according to CNN, were participating in the operation dubbed Khareh Cobra, or “Cobra’s Anger.” According to Marine spokesperson Maj. William Pelletier, troops struck against Taliban communications and supply lines in southern Helmand province. According to the AP, hundreds of troops were dropped by helicopter and aircraft behind Taliban lines in the northern end of the Now Zad Valley of Helmand, which was also the scene of heavy fighting last summer. According to the AP, a second larger force also pushed northward from the Marines’ Forward Operating Base in Now Zad. Pelletier said that there had been a handful of insurgent deaths and troops had found weapons caches. According to CNN, Now Zad had been the second largest town in Helmand, but has become empty due to years of fighting. The Marines say that insurgents have mined the region and troops intend to provide enough security for the Afghan government and non-governmental organizations to begin clearing mines so that the town can be repopulated, CNN reported. The operation began three days after Obama’s announcement of the fresh reinforcements. According to the AP, most of the new troops are expected to be sent to southern Afghanistan, where the Taliban is the strongest, including Helmand province.

Britain to host January 28 conference in London

Britain said it would host an international conference on Afghanistan in London on January 28, according to British Prime Minister Gordon Brown. Brown made the announcement with UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Saturday (November 28) at a Commonwealth summit in Trinidad and Tobago, Reuters news agency reported. The conference will reportedly cover the progressive handing over of security in the country to the Afghans, Reuters reported Brown and Ban as saying. The London conference would be followed by a meeting in Kabul. The talks will “outline the framework for an increased lead role for the Afghans in the shaping of their destiny,” Reuters quoted Ban as saying. Afghan President Hamid Karzai and foreign ministers from other countries, as well as the UN and international organizations, are expected to attend the conference. According to the AP, Brown said that the first benchmark will come three months after the conference when the Afghan government will be expected to identify additional troops to send to southern Helmand province for training. He said that within six months, the government should have a clear plan for training more police and reducing corruption among officers, and within nine months, the central government should have appointed some 400 provincial and district governors, the AP reported. Brown added that by the end of next year, the government should have trained an additional 50,000 troops and must take control of at least five districts from NATO-led forces.

Movement

2009: According to the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), more than 262,000 people are displaced across Afghanistan with conflict, natural disasters, poverty and communal tensions being the major factors. According to the UN’s Integrated Regional Information Networks (IRIN), more than 1 million people were internally displaced in Afghanistan between 2002 and 2005, according to aid agencies. Most stayed in camps in southern Kandahar and Helmand provinces and western Herat provinces, where they received UN aid. The assistance program ended in March 2006 and many of the displaced resettled in their original areas mostly in the northern provinces, but tens of thousands remain in camps, saying that it is not safe for them to return. IRIN reports that aid agencies warn that the most vulnerable of the displaced are children who are forced to beg or work on the streets, while some fall under the control of insurgents, accused by the UN of using them for military purposes. (IRIN, Nov-26)

The UNHCR has begun a winter aid program for some 200,000 of the most vulnerable people, mainly internally displaced persons and returnees from Iran and Pakistan, IRIN reported. In Kabul, UNHCR has begun distributing supplies to some 1,500 displaced people and returnees. The aid is worth some US$3.85 million and includes non-food items. UNHCR says it has moved supplies to areas with harsh winters, such as the western region. The UN’s World Food Program (WFP) also says that over 27,400 tons of food aid has been prepositioned in 18 of the country’s provinces.  “Since 2007, our winterization strategy has emphasized preparedness rather than emergency response… We hope to prevent illness and hardship for the most vulnerable people,” IRIN quoted Ewen Macleod, UNHCR’s representative in Afghanistan, as saying. UNHCR says its winterization program is expected to be completed by the end of the month. (IRIN, Dec-1)

According to the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), military operations in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) in northwestern Pakistan have forced hundreds of households to abandon their homes and seek refuge in Kunar province in eastern Afghanistan, the UN’s Integrated Regional Information Networks (IRIN) reported. A joint assessment by the Afghan government and UNHCR indicates that 440 families, mostly from FATA’s Bajaur Agency, are living in two districts of Kunar province, but no formal camps have been set up for them. The refugees are reportedly being hosted by relatives and local Afghan communities. UNHCR says that it has distributed tents and other relief supplies and the World Food Program said it was planning to deliver food to some 290 families in the near future. The NATO-led provincial reconstruction team has also helped distribute food to the refugees. According to IRIN, over the past few months, up to 3,000 Pakistani households have sought temporary settlement in eastern Kunar and Nangarhar province. A local official in Kunar said that most have returned, but hundreds of families were still displaced. (IRIN, Nov. 9)

The UNHCR said that it has almost completed its shelter program for more than 50,000 of the most vulnerable Afghan returnees this year, bringing to some 1.2 million those who have benefited since the re-integration project started in 2002. The refugee agency says that this represents some 25 percent of the more than 4.3 million Afghans assisted home by the UNHCR since the end of 2001, which include 3.4 million from Pakistan and over 865,000 from Iran. UNHCR says its re-integration program will continue for the next two years, especially in the shelter sector and will continue to support the government-led program to allocate land to landless returnees. (UNHCR, Oct-27)

According to the UN, aid agencies and local officials say that several thousand people returning to their homes in northern Jowjan and Sar-i-Pul provinces need assistance before winter sets in. The agencies say that most are returnees from Iran and from a camp of displaced persons in southern Afghanistan. UNHCR says that it has set up a tented camp in Sozma Qala district in Sar-i-Pul province to accommodate hundreds of returnees from Iran. Provincial officials say that around 300 families had returned to Jowzjan province from the Zhari IDP camp in Kandahar province. (IRIN, Oct-29)

According to the UNHCR, there were more than 1,300 Afghans seeking asylum in Tajikistan in 2008, but the number has almost doubled in the first five months of this year, according to the BBC. Some of the reasons for the influx include violence over the border in Afghanistan. Tajikistan is struggling to provide the refugees with jobs and health care and a special government decree outlawed the settling of refugees in the capital and job opportunities in small towns are almost non-existent. (BBC, Oct-21)

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	Fifty tons of wheat seeds, 70 tons of urea and 25 tons of fertilizer were distributed by the provincial Directorate of Agriculture, Irrigation and Livestock and was supported and funded by the Czech Provincial Reconstruction Team in Logar province. Around a thousand farmers are expected to benefit from the distribution. Yields are expected to be two times higher than previously. (NATO, Nov-4) 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	Afghan and international forces detained eight militants during a security sweep in Baraki Barak district in central Logar province on Sunday (November 22). (Reuters, Nov-23) Ten civilians were killed and 13 others wee wounded when a suicide bomber targeted a police vehicle in central Uruzgan (also spelled Oruzgan) province on Thursday (November 19). (CNN, Nov-19) Afghan and NATO-led forces killed an unspecified number of militants and detained several others during an operation against a district Taliban commander in the central province of Ghazni. (Reuters, Oct-25) ISAF said joint Afghan and NATO troops killed a number of suspected Taliban militants and wounded another in central Wardak on Thursday (October 22). (Reuters, Oct-23) Afghan and NATO-led forces killed a few militants during a search of a compound in Ghazni province. (Reuters, Oct-18) 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)
Comments	The commander of the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF), Gen. Stanley McChrystal, met with the Governor of Uruzgan, Assadulah Hamdam, on November 11 and opened a bridge in Tarin Kowt, the provincial capital, ISAF reported. The Afghan people built it with funds from ISAF and the new bridge spans the Teri Rud River to provide better access to Tarin Kowt for people who live north of the city. (NATO, Nov-17) Three schools for girls were completed in Logar province and will serve more than 1,000 girls. Two schools were built in Khoshi district in eastern Logar, while the third was built in Muhammad Agha district. The construction was led by the Provincial Ministry of Education and funded by the Czech PRT. The Czech PRT has been assisting the people of Logar since March 2008. (Czech PRT, Oct-18)

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	The Afghan Public Health Ministry on Monday (November 30) said that more than 840 cases of H1N1 have been detected in the country. “In total, 843 cases of A/H1N1 have been detected so far and of these, 806 are men and 37 are women,” a report by the ministry said. The report said 448 men and 23 women have been affected by the virus in the capital, Kabul. At least 16 deaths have been reported thus far. (Xinhua, Nov-30) The Afghan government announced Tuesday (November 17) that it would reopen all schools from November 23 to December 12 to allow some 7.5 million schoolchildren take exams following an outbreak of H1N1 in the country, the UN’s Integrated Regional Information Networks (IRIN) reported. Afghanistan’s National Disasters Management Commission on November 1 declared an H1N1 health emergency and ordered a shutdown of all schools and universities for three weeks. Around 9 million students and teachers were reportedly affected, according to IRIN. Officials said however, that universities will remain closed and students will have to take their annual exams in spring 2010. According to IRIN, schools in colder regions, some 65 percent of schools, will be closed until March 2010, but in warmer regions, such as in Kandahar, Khost and Nangarhar provinces, schools will resume after December 12, according to the Ministry of Education (MoE). The MoE added that strong H1N1 preventive measures will be implemented during the exams. According to the Ministry of Public Health (MoPH), over the past month, more than 500 H1N1 cases and 14 fatalities have been confirmed and a total of over 820 cases have been reported since July, IRIN reported. (IRIN, Nov-17) According to the Ministry of Public Health (MoPH), the sixth and last polio immunization drive for this year will begin on November 15, and up to 8 million children under the age of five are expected to receive the oral vaccine. Around 54,000 workers will help with the vaccination, according to IRIN. Five campaigns have been carried out so far this year. IRIN says that some threats and attacks were carried out by armed groups, particularly in insecure southern provinces.  “The MoPH has not engaged in direct talks with the armed opposition for access but through tribal elders we have tried to raise awareness about the importance of polio vaccination for all children,” MoPH spokesperson Faird Raaid was quoted as saying by IRIN. The Taliban reportedly endorsed a three-day immunization campaign in September. According to IRIN, around 15 percent of Afghan children miss out on different immunizations according to the latest National Risk and Vulnerability Assessment. According to the WHO, polio has been virtually eradicated in the north and central Afghanistan, but has remained endemic in the insecure south and southeast. According to IRIN, the MoPH says that of the total 25 cases confirmed so far this year, 22 were reported in the two southern provinces of Kandahar and Helmand and one each in Nooristan, Ghor and Kapisa provinces. In 2008, 31 polio cases were reported country-wide. MoPH officials also said that some 6.8 million children aged 6-56 months will receive oral drops of Vitamin A. (IRIN, Nov-12) According to Afghanistan’s National HIV/AIDS Control Program, over 50 people have been diagnosed as HIV-positive in Afghanistan over the past nine months, bringing the total number of registered cases to 556. According to Malika Popal, the program’s advocacy and communications adviser, most have got the virus through intravenous drug use. Afghanistan’s MoPH estimates that some 2,000-3,000 are living with HIV/AIDS in Afghanistan. According to IRIN, the country’s virus prevalence rate of around 0.5 percent is considered among the lowest in the world. Experts say the armed conflict, lack of awareness of HIV/AIDS, lack of access to social services, rising intravenous drug addiction and the poor social status of women could lead to a rapid spread of HIV/AIDS in the country. (IRIN, Nov-5) Afghanistan’s MoPH and the Ministry of Finance on November 4 launched a new Partnership Contracts for Health Service (PCH) program today after signing 16 contracts with 10 NGOs totaling some US$72 million over two years to provide health services in 12 provinces of the country, supported by the US Agency for International Development (USAID). The contracts begin implementation of Basic Packages of Health Services (BPHS) and Essential Packages of Hospital Services (EPHS) for 12 provinces and for assistance to the Wazir Akbar Khan Hospital in Kabul, according to USAID. The contracts are for two years with a one-year extension expected depending on results, according to USAID. The PCH program is expected to be implemented for a total of five years, with a total value of US$236 million. As a result of the contracts, the MoPH will support 462 health facilities and over 4,000 health posts. (USAID, Nov-4)
Non-Food Items - Shelter	No New Information UNHCR, ACTED, MSF, IRC, ICRC, IOM
Security	Two people were wounded when a rocket hit outside the luxury Serena Hotel in the capital Kabul on Saturday (November 21). (AP, Nov-21) An Afghan member of the parliament escaped an assassination attempt that left at least five of his bodyguards dead. Abdul Rasul Sayyaf, who was sworn-in on Tuesday (November 17) for a second term in office, was attacked in Paghman district north of the capital, Kabul. It is not clear who attacked Sayyaf. (BBC, Nov-20) Afghan and NATO-led forces killed six insurgents and detained 15 in several operations in various parts of the country on Sunday (November 15). (Reuters, Nov-16) Two Afghans were killed and four others, including foreign troops, were wounded when a suicide bomber targeted a US military convoy near Camp Phoenix—a US military base on the outskirts of capital, Kabul, on Friday (November 13). (CNN, BBC, NYT, Nov-13) ISAF said in a statement that Afghan and NATO troops detained a group of suspected insurgents in southeastern Paktia province. (Reuters, Oct-30)
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	The International Rescue Committee (IRC) is chlorinating hundreds of public water sources and conducting hygiene promotion to help areas hit by an outbreak of cholera in eastern Nangarhar. The outbreak comes less than two months after heavy rains triggered flash floods that left thousands homeless. The health ministry has recorded over 670 cases of cholera and acute watery diarrhea in around a third of the country’s 34 provinces, including Kabul. Almost 30 people have been killed by the disease. IRC says almost 300 cholera cases have been reported in Nangarhar. (IRC, Oct-27)
Non-Food Items - Shelter	A Norwegian journalist and his Afghan interpreter have been released. Paal Refsdal, working for a Norwegian production company, was abducted last week (November 6) along with his Afghan colleague in eastern Kunar province near the Pakistan border. The Norwegian media earlier did not report on the abduction for fear of jeopardizing their colleague’s safety. (Reuters, CPJ, Nov-12) One Afghan soldier was killed and another wounded by insurgent fire in the eastern Laghman province overnight. (Reuters, Nov-9) 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	Some 30 Taliban insurgents were killed in a NATO-led airstrike overnight in the eastern province of Khost, police officials said on Sunday (November 29). A NATO-led statement said Afghan border police called in airstrikes after they were attacked by insurgents. (KT, Nov-29) A roadside bomb killed as many as five members of a family and wounded three others in Ismail Khel district in eastern Khost province on Tuesday (November 24). (Reuters, Nov-24) Unidentified gunmen opened fire on a car in Khost City, killing four civilians, including two women. (Reuters, Nov-4) One US soldier was killed in a roadside bomb explosion in eastern Afghanistan on Monday (November 23). (BBC, Nov-24) Six Afghan soldiers were wounded when insurgents attacked their security patrol in Manogai district on Sunday (November 22). (Reuters, Nov-23) One US service member from NATO-led forces and a US civilian contractor were killed in a roadside bomb blast in eastern Afghanistan on Friday (November 13). NATO did not provide further details. (Reuters, Nov-14)
Water & Sanitation	CARITAS; ICRC, UNICEF
Comments	USAID and US Forces are working together to conduct both large infrastructure projects, such as the building of roads and smaller infrastructure projects, such as building a gravity powered water tank and faucet system. In Nawa village in Sirkani District of Kunar province, Provincial Reconstruction Team (PRT) Kunar is building a road passing by Nawa to the border with Pakistan. USAID is following the road with development projects, such as installing 46 water taps to Nawa village. The water flows from a 10,566 gallon tank that sits over a natural spring. The project took about six months, according to USAID. (USAID, Nov. 20) 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	Fourteen civilians were killed and 38 wounded when three rockets fired by Taliban insurgents struck a busy market in Tagab Valley in northeastern Kapisa province on Monday (November 16). (Reuters, Nov-17)
Water & Sanitation	No New Information
Comments	The NGO, Mennonite Economic Development Associates (MEDA), has helped more than 2,375 women farmers grow crops and earn an income through their Through the Garden Gate project. According to MEDA, based on 2008 harvest data, the average farmer’s income from these horticulture projects has tripled from US$106 in 2007 to US$352. MEDA says that contributing to the growth is the production of off-season cucumbers, increased sales of processed/dried products, planting of potatoes and average yield increases of three to eight times among tomato, onion and cucumber crops. (GC, Nov-27) 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	The World Food Program (WFP) says it is moving 33,000 metric tons of food to remote areas of the country to prepare for the fast approaching winter. The pre-positioning began in August and will continue through November. The food is expected to support some 862,000 Afghans. (WFP, Oct-27)
Health	No New Information MSF, ICRC, UNICEF
NFIs –Shelter	No New Information IOM, ACTED, Mercy Corps
Security	Two children were killed and two others wounded on Saturday (November 21), when a roadside bomb aimed at a police vehicle exploded in northern Takhar province. (DPA, Nov-21) Afghan and NATO-led forces killed seven insurgents, including three local commanders, in the Char Dara and Khan Abad districts in the northern province of Kunduz on Monday (November 16). Two civilians helping the forces were also killed during the battle. (Reuters, Nov-17) Taliban insurgents killed four Afghan guards in an overnight attack on an Afghan security firm in Kunduz’s Char Data district. (Reuters, Nov-17) An Afghan woman was shot dead after Afghan troops opened fire after their convoy hit a roadside bomb in northern Takhar province. Three soldiers were also wounded in the blast. (Reuters, Nov-11) NATO and Afghan officials claimed on Monday (November 9) that they have killed at least 130 Taliban fighters during a joint operation around Char Dara district in the northern province of Kunduz over the past week. Lt. Col. Todd Vician said eight Taliban commanders were among those killed during a 5-day operation. (Reuters, Nov-9) At least seven members of the Afghan security forces and a civilian were killed in an alleged NATO-led airstrike on Friday (November 6) in northwestern Badghis province. NATO said it is investigating if its close air support was responsible for the casualties. NATO said five American soldiers were also wounded in an operation against the militants. (NYT, Nov-8)
Water & Sanitation	No New Information UNICEF, ICRC, DACAAR
Comments	The UN reports that OCHA’s field offices are updating lists of emergency stocks in each region to identify gaps ahead of the coming winter. The International Organization for Migration (IOM) is assisting with procuring relief items for pre-positioning. The European Union Humanitarian Aid Department (ECHO) has also allocated resources for winter needs for areas affected by spring floods. ECHO will support food/cash for work for 3,089 households and shelter support for 991 households in 10 districts of Baghlan and Badakshan in the northeast. (OCHA, Nov. 20) The UN Office for Project Services (UNOPS) has supported the Afghan government in implementing the Swedish-funded Rural Accessibility Improvement Project to supplement rural accessibility in the northern provinces of Sar-i-Pul and Samangan since December 2007. According to UNAMA as part of the project, women started to be employed in June 2009 to help build 50 km of road with gravel surface and structures. UNAMA says so far 52 women are employed. (UNAMA, Nov-23) A strong 6.2-magnitude quake struck around 50 miles southeast of Feyzabad in Badakshan province in a sparsely populated area in the Hindu Kush mountains early Friday (Oct-23) morning. No serious damage was reported from the quake, which was centered some 170 miles below the surface. (CNN, DPA, Oct-23) 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	Six Afghan policemen were killed and two wounded when a rogue Afghan police officer opened fire at a checkpoint in southwestern Nimroz province on Sunday (November 29). The gunman escaped initially, but was later gunned down in a shootout by the police in Dil Aram district. (AP, Nov-30) A suicide bomber targeting a police vehicle, detonated explosives in Panjwayi district in southern Kandahar province on Monday, killing five civilians, including three children. (Reuters, Nov-24) One US soldier was killed in an insurgent attack in southern Afghanistan. No further details were provided by the US military. (Reuters, Nov-24) Three US servicemen were killed in two separate attacks in southern Afghanistan on Sunday (November 22). (BBC, Nov-24) Three Afghan soldiers were killed in a roadside bomb blast in Musa Qala district in southern Helmand province on Sunday. (BBC, Nov-24) Five Afghan border security guards were killed in a roadside bomb attack near Spin Boldak in southern Kandahar province on Sunday. (AP, Nov-22) Nineteen Taliban militants and an Afghan policeman were killed during a joint NATO-Afghan operation in Zhari district in southern Kandahar province on Friday (November 20). (Reuters, Nov-21) Two US soldiers were killed in a suicide car bomb attack just outside a military base in Shah Joy district in southern Zabul province on Thursday (November 19). (Reuters, Nov-19) Two Afghan civilians were killed by a roadside bomb in Gereshk district in southern Helmand province. (Reuters, Nov-17) A British soldier was killed by a roadside bomb near Gereshk district in southern Helmand province on Sunday (November 15). (Reuters, Nov-16) Eight Afghan policemen and three others were wounded when Taliban militants attacked their post in the Arghandab district in southern Kandahar province on Sunday (November 15). However, the Taliban claimed they had killed 12 Afghan policemen.  (Reuters, Nov-16) Three insurgents were killed in Kandahar’s Panjwayi district on Sunday, when a roadside bomb they were planting exploded. (Reuters, Nov-16) One US serviceman was killed in a bomb explosion in southern Afghanistan on November 13. NATO did not provide further details. (Reuters, Nov-14)
Water & Sanitation	The Ministry of Agriculture, Irrigation and Livestock (MAIL) says that since a drought in 1996, many traditional irrigation sources have been drying up in southern provinces. MAIL says that drought has destroyed more than 80 percent of “kareze” (Channel water from underground aquifiers for use in irrigation) and springs in Kandahar. MAIL says the drying up of irrigation sources and poor irrigation management has forced more people to consider alternative livelihoods. (IRIN, Nov. 4)
Comments	More than 200 students at the Afghan-Canadian Community Center (ACCC) in Kandahar graduated on Monday (November 2) from a professional education program funded largely by the Canadian International Development Agency. (CIDA, Nov. 4) The UK’s Department for International Development (DFID) to date has helped provide loans to over 1,441 microfinance clients, including farmers in Helmand, totaling US$832,800. Funds are provided via the Afghan government to the World Council of Credit Unions and is distributed via Islamic Investment and Finance Cooperatives (IIFCs) to members. DFID says the loans are aimed to boost counter narcotics work by giving famers incentives to plant legal food crops instead of illegal poppy. DFID’s activities in Helmand are closely coordinated with USAID. (DFID, Oct-23) 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	Afghan soldiers and civilian medical personnel with the assistance of Spanish and US forces treated more than 300 people each day between October 6-8 at a cooperative medical engagement near Camp Zafar. The Afghan army sent buses to multiple villages to ensure that villagers received care. More than US$30,000 in medications, antibiotics and hygiene items were purchased from the local economy and distributed. (ISAF, Oct-21) 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	A provincial security official said that Taliban insurgents attacked the runway at a civilian airport in Herat province on Thursday (December 3) night, close to the Iranian border, with about 13 rockets. There were reportedly no casualties. The official said that the airport would be closed until further notice. A spokesperson for NATO forces said that Herat’s military airfield next to the runway and used by NATO was not damaged. (Reuters, Dec-4) The body of a second US soldier that went missing during a resupply mission has been recovered from a river in Afghanistan’s western Herat province. Sgt Brandon Islip and Sgt Benjamin Sherman were swept away by currents in a river in Badghis three weeks ago. (Reuters, Nov-30) At least 13 people were killed and 29 wounded, including eight children, in a suicide bomb attack on Friday (November 20) in western Farah province. (CNN, Nov-20) Six Afghan soldiers were killed in an ambush overnight by Taliban insurgents in Farah province on Tuesday (November 17). (Reuters, Nov-18) Taliban insurgents beheaded two kidnapped Afghans in western Farah province on Sunday (November 15). Three others who were also abducted were released. (Reuters, Nov-16) Afghan and NATO forces killed several insurgents during a search sweep in Shindad district in Herat province on Saturday (November 14). A district police chief said three insurgents and one female civilian were among those killed. (Reuters, Nov-14). The body of one of the two missing US soldiers was recovered by a military diving team in a river in western Afghanistan. The two soldiers on a resupply mission went missing last week (November 4). According to some reports, the missing soldiers were recovering supplies dropped by a NATO aircraft that had fallen into a river. (Reuters, Nov-11)
Water & Sanitation	No New Information UNICEF
Comments	ISAF troops from the Lithuanian-led Provincial Reconstruction Team (PRT) in western Ghowr province has distributed thousands of handmade hats to schoolchildren on November 25. ISAF reports that almost 2,000 hats were given out as part of the final phase of the project, “Warm Hats for Afghan Children.” The project reportedly began in August when the PRT asked their Lithuanian countrymen to knit hats for the Afghan children. A PRT officer said the project exceeded expectations with more than 5,000 hats being made and an additional 1,500 hats expected. The additional hats are expected to be delivered in a few weeks. (NATO, Nov. 30) The NGO, ACTED, says it has added three more courthouses to Faryab province, which previously only had two court buildings. The NGO says that a pending follow-up province will add two more court houses. ACTED is helping to conduct a “Support to Justice Sector” project jointly financed by the European Commission through the International Organization for Migration and the Latvian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. ACTED says the partnership with the International Institute of Higher Studies in Criminal Sciences and the coordination with the provincial Supreme Court will eventually lead to the construction of three new courthouses and the training of 29 local judges and 28 prosecutors. (ACTED, Nov. 16)

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