Overview. August 13, 2004

Transcription

1 August 13, 2004 Overview Afghan election officials say 18 candidates running in October's presidential elections Afghanistan s Joint Electoral Management Body (JEMB) announced earlier in the week (Tuesday, August 10) that a total of 18 candidates had qualified to run for the upcoming Afghan presidential elections set for October 9. According to JEMB, of the 23 original candidates who had submitted their nomination papers, three were disqualified due to their failure to comply with the nomination procedures. Two other candidates reportedly withdrew their candidacies on Monday, August 9, leaving 18 candidates in the running for the presidency. Significant candidates include incumbent Afghan President Hamid Karzai, former Afghan Education Minister Yunus Qanouni, northern warlord Abdul Rashid Dostum, Latif Pedram, a Tajik writer and scholar, and Massouda Jalal, a female pediatrician from Kabul, currently working for the United Nations World Program. Only Qanouni, 1

2 who is an ethnic Tajik and is backed by the ruling Northern Alliance, is seen as a major contender for the presidency against Karzai. Afghanistan to set up 5,000 polling centers for upcoming presidential elections in October Julian Type, an Australian official at Afghanistan s Joint Electoral Management Body (JEMB), said yesterday (Thursday, August 12) that some 5,000 voting centers would be set up across Afghanistan for the upcoming presidential elections on October 9. Type said each polling center would have about five polling stations where people would vote. The paper ballot that was finalized on Wednesday, August 11 is reportedly as long as a newspaper page and about half as wide. The ballot, currently being printed in Canada, has names and pictures of all 18 presidential candidates due to Afghanistan s extremely low literacy rate. Type said some 30,000 ballot boxes should arrive in Afghanistan next week, followed by the newly printed ballot boxes next month (September). According to Type, voting for the presidential election would be held on a single day and the finally tally could take as many as three weeks. He said it is JEMB s intent to have the provincial count done within the provinces. He said that in the event of a possible runoff, new ballots would have to be printed and it could take up to six weeks to hold the runoff election. Type added that the beginning of the Islamic fasting month of Ramadan in late October could present some logistical difficulties. UN condemns killing of election workers in central Afghanistan; experts warn of worsening violence ahead of elections The United Nations is condemning the latest killings of election workers in Afghanistan s central Uruzgan province (also spelled Oruzgan) last Friday (August 6). Manoel de Almeida e Silva, spokesman for the United Nations Assistance Mission for Afghanistan (UNAMA), told a press briefing in the Afghan capital Kabul last Sunday (August 8) that Jean Arnault, Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General and the head of UNAMA, strongly condemned Friday s murderous attack against Afghan election workers near the village of Yakhdan in the Shahidi Hassas district of Uruzgan province that left two workers dead and one missing. According to UNAMA, the attack took place Friday evening between 5:30 and 6:00 when unidentified gunmen ambushed a four-vehicle convoy of the Joint Electoral Management Body (JEMB) Secretariat, an independent organization comprising UN and Afghan officials who are mandated to conduct and supervise the upcoming Afghan elections. All vehicles were reportedly destroyed in the attack. In his message, Arnault hoped that one missing member of the convoy is found alive and soon. The latest attack brings the total number of election workers that have been killed while working for the JEMB Secretariat to 12, including two expatriates. Arnault said he was encouraged that police accompanying the convoy had arrested one perpetrator, and expressed hope that the others would be apprehended and brought to justice soon. The UN says that all voter registration sites in Uruzgan remain open, except the one where the attack took place, which has been temporarily closed. Separately, aid groups are denouncing a US military suggestion that they should travel with armed escorts amid deteriorating security. NGO security experts are calling the suggestion condescending, adding that it reflected poor comprehension of the security on the ground. Nick Downey, who heads the Afghanistan NGO Office in Kabul said, certainly coalition forces cannot suggest that armour and arms prevents or protects (against) attacks -- it is clearly evident that guns have not prevented deaths, and that high profile measures have invited attacks." Downey also warned that the security situation has deteriorated in recent months and things are only set to get worse. NGOs have long voiced their concerns about the US military s involvement in humanitarian aid work. They have accused the military of blurring the lines between military activities and relief work, and creating a false perception among Afghans that perhaps humanitarian aid was tied with military operations, thus endangering aid workers. 2

3 Movement 3.5 million refugees and IDP returns since early 2002, with over three million refugees returning to Afghanistan and over 500,000 IDPs going home. 2.1 million refugees returned from Pakistan; 920,000 returned from Iran. In 2004, UNHCR (UN High Commission for Refugees) plans for 500,000 to return from Pakistan and 500,000 returns from Iran. About 550,000 refugees returned by early August - 239,000 from Pakistan, including 100,000 from urban centers. An estimated 296,000 also came from Iran, including more than 50,000 spontaneous returns. August on course for 100,000 returns, similar to May, June, and July. UNHCR plans to close new post-september 2001 camps in Pakistan near the border by September About 800,000 refugees remain in Iran and 1.6 million in Pakistan. Remaining in Pakistan are over 100,000 in cities, one million in old camps and nearly 200,000 in new post-2001 camps. 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 with 92,000 and July with 78,000. 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. UNHCR, the Afghan Ministry for Refugees and Repatriation, and IOM (International Organization for Migration) plan to assist 90,000 IDPs return home in So far, 13,000 IDPs have been assisted this year. There are 188,000 recorded, active IDPs, with the actual total being, perhaps, some 300,000. Active IDP numbers are 145,000 in the South, 20,000 in the West, 20,000 in the Center, 10,500 in the East and Southeast, and 9,000 in the North. UNHCR assisted 60,000 IDPs to return in During the first quarter of 2004, WFP provided food assistance to over 2 million Afghans. During a typical week, around half a million people receive around 4,000 tons of food. Several hundred thousand Afghans are employed on work-for-food programs. Routes for Humanitarian Aid and Refugees Country Supply Routes Supply/Return Routes To From Iran Pakistan Mashhad Dogharun, Herat, Badghis & Ghor Major refugee repatriation route; Zabol Nimruz Refugee repatriation route; Peshawar Jalalabad, Kabul, Bamiyan & Khyber Pass refugee camps in NWFP, Major refugee repatriation route; Torkham Pakistan Quetta Refugee camps in Baluchistan, Significant refugee repatriation route Pakistan & Kandahar and Herat Tajikistan Nizhny Pyandzh Sherkhan, Kunduz, Northern region, & Kabul Salang tunnel between north and Kabul; Tunnel closed 7 AM 5 PM for repairs through September Kyrgyzstan Osh Ishkashim, Faizabad, & NE WFP no longer needs route Turkmenistan Turkmenabat, Kushka Herat, Badghis & Ghor UNHCR no long needs route Turkmenabat, Kerki Andkhoy, Mazar-e-Sharif, & Northern Region UNHCR no longer needs route Uzbekistan Termez Mazar-e-Sharif and North Friendship Bridge for rail and road 3

4 Afghanistan Relief Efforts: United Nations Regions Central Region : Policeman killed in Taliban attack on voter registration site in Ghazni province; Two election workers killed by bomb in mosque in Ghazni province; Bamiyan IDP Movement NFIs -Shelter 2,800 active IDPs in Central and East Central WFP; preparations for winter complete ICRC, IMC, MSF; malnutrition high IOM,, UNOCHA, & OXFAM New Zealand PRT in Bamiyan; Main phase of Disarmament, Demobilization, and Reintegration (DDR) on-going; 4

5 : PRT in Parwan; Kabul UNHCR East Central Region IDP Movement 2,800 active IDPs in Central and East Central UN; currently few returning home from Kabul WFP, IRC, Action Contre la Faim CARITAS, MSF, IFRC, IRC, ICRC Russian relief center and hospital; improved ambulance service Non- Items - Shelter UNHCR, ACTED, MSF, IRC, ICRC, IOM; housing being built for squatters Main phase of DDR in progress ICRC; Wells, pumps, and clean water considerably improved; chlorination of wells on-going Eastern Region : Coalition operations continue along border with Pakistan; Two aid workers gunned down in Paktia on August 3 German NGO Malteser pulls out of Paktia and Paktika provinces; No word on 20,000 refugees reportedly fleeing operations in Pakistan and entering Paktika province; Coalition says it will launch Lightning Resolve operation to improve election security; US PRT in Gardez; US PRT in Kunar; US PRT in Ghazni province; Coalition says it will establish more PRTs in east and south to improve security and humanitarian support; Main phase of DDR in progress in Gardez; Jalalabad IDP Movement Non- Items - Shelter UNHCR 5,500 active IDPs in East WFP, IRC, MSF, IMC, WHO; ICRC CWS, US PRT in Jalalabad; Main phase of DDR (Disarmament, Demobilization, and Reintegration) started; CARITAS; ICRC, 5

6 Eastern Region IDP Camps Hesarshahi (12 km east of Jalalabad) Sar Shahi Type IDP IDP Capacity International Islamic Relief Organization (ISRO) 9,000 remaining 15,000 Movement IDPs UNHCR assisted 15,000 return home Non- Items (NFIs) - Shelter WES activities of in this camp completed in 2002 and Immunization activities are going on. Northeastern Region : Election workers attacked in Faryab province on August 2; DDR (Disarmament, Demobilization and Reintegration) started in Takhar province; Faizabad Organization Movement IDPs 11,000 active IDPs in North and Northeast 117,000 returned spontaneously in Northeastern region OXFAM,, WFP, World Concern Preparations for winter underway Non- Items (NFIs) -Shelter WHO, Merlin,, MSF; ICRC, ACTED, Refugees Int l, Mercy Corps German/NATO PRT in Feyzabad; 6

7 Northern Region : US PRT in Parwan; DDR started in Baghlan; Kunduz 11,000 active IDPs in North and Northeast; 60,000 IDPs from North elsewhere in country; Movement IDPs Non- Items (NFIs) Shelter IOM targeting 45,000 IDPs to identify those interested in voluntary assisted return home starting 31 March ACF, FOCUS, OXFAM, IOM, Save the Children; WHO, MSF, Convoys from Mazar-e-Sharif, Kabul, and Tajikistan IOM, ACTED, Mercy Corps NATO/German PRT in Kunduz; Main phase of DDR in progress Immunization activities Aid and relief supplies from North, South, and West Northern Region IDP Camps (Kunduz) Bagh-e-Sherkat Amirabad Type IDP IDP IOM IOM Camp Capacity 22,000 Less than 5,000 between the two camps Less than 5,000 between the two camps Movement IDPs Largely stopped Largely stopped WFP WFP, ACTED, Focus Non- Items (NFIs) - Shelter IOM Water & UNICIEF Sanitation has completed WES activities in the camps in

8 Movement IDPs Non- Items (NFIs) - Shelter Mazar-e-Sharif UNHCR 11,000 active IDPs in North and Northeast; 60,000 IDPs from North elsewhere in country; IOM moving some IDPs home WFP; preparations for winter underway WHO; ICRC. Jordanian field hospital IRC, IOM,, Action Contre la Faim; FAO British PRT in Mazar-e-Sharif turned over to NATO; Main phase of DDR on-going; ICRC Southern Region Southern region has 145,000 active IDPs; : Coalition operations continue along border with Pakistan; UNHCR scales back operations in the southeastern region; Coalition says it is launching Lightning Resolve operation to improve election security; Coalition says it will establish more PRTs in east and south to improve security and support humanitarian activities; Kandahar UNHCR Movement of IDPs 145,000 active IDPs in South International staff present and operating Mercy Corps in southern Kandahar Province WHO, ICRC, CARITAS, Mercy Corps; ; UNHCR, Mercy Corps US PRT in Kandahar; main phase of DDR in progress 8

9 Southern Region IDP Camps (Kandahar) Type Capacity Movement IDPs Kandahar IDP 90,000 in 39 camps in Panjwai district Survey of IDPs in the Southern Region to be conducted later this month Coalition operations continue WES projects of in IDP camps completed in 2002 and immunization activities are going on. Type Southern Region IDP camps south of Kandahar Zhare Dasht (South of Kandhar 6 camps) IDP Camp Int l Save our Souls Camp Capacity 30,000; expandable to 60,000 36,000 Movement IDP About 4,000 from Spin Boldak to relocate to Zhare Dasht before humanitarian support ends in August this year; WFP, MSF; outbreak of diphtheria among under- 18 wells New camps designed to attract IDPs from Spin Boldak 9

10 Eight Southern Region camps in Panjwai and Maiwand west of Kandahar for 30,000 nomadic Kuchis Mandozai (60 kn from Kandahar) Marghar Morsham Type IDP Camp IDP Camp IDP Camp Cordaid Cordaid Cordaid Camp Capacity 1,700 4,500 16,000 Movement IDP Refugees in noman s land Caritas Caritas Caritas Caritas- Caritas_ Caritas- is doing immunization activities Southern Region IDP Camps (Spin Boldak--Near Afghan-Pakistan Border Chaman Area) About 20,000 IDPs in the Spin Boldak area; Government has ordered that Spin Boldak humanitarian assistance end in August; 4,000 IDPs to go to Zhare Dasht, several hundred to return home, and nearly 16,000 to remain in Spin Boldak area without humanitarian assistance; Al Rashid (Spin Boldak) Ben Rashid Maktum (Spin Boldak) Rabita Alam el Islam (Spin Boldak) Type IDP Camp IDP Camp IDP Camp UNHCR UNHCR UNHCR Camp Capacity 1,100 Movement IDP WFP WFP Distribution interrupted in mid-may and MSF and MSF and MSF Trucks and water tanks Trucks and water tanks UNHCR supplying limited quantities New camp New camp New camp 10

11 Spin Boldak Spin Boldak Wesh Type IDP Camp IDP Camp IDP Camp International Islamic Relief Organization NGO from United Arab Emirates International Islamic Relief Organization Camp Capacity 6,000 6,000 Movement IDP WFP WFP WFP and MSF and MSF and MSF Trucks and water tanks Trucks and water tanks Trucks and water tanks New camp New camp New camp Western Region 20,500 active IDPs; : Limited disarmament taking place among competing local factions in Chaghcharan, capital of Ghor province; 600 Afghan Army troops sent to ensure order; Herat Province UNHCR; ICMC Movement IDPs Non- Items (NFIs) Shelter 70,000 or less in 5 remaining camps down from 200,000 to 360,000 depending on estimates WFP, IRC, CARITAS,, World Vision, IOM, Action Contre la Faim WHO, MSF, MDM, Order of Malta, CHA, IbniSina, HRS; ICRC; UNHCR, Iranian Red Crescent,, IOM, Blankets and fuel being distributed; Ockenden Int l, MSF, IMC Fighting between local warlords; US PRT in Heart; Main phase of DDR (Disarmament, Demobilization, and Reintegration) begun; 11

12 Mir Daud (25 km west of Heart) Western Region IDP Camps Maslakh (20 km west of Herat) Shaydayee (18 km east of Heart) Type IDP Camp IDP camp IDP camp ICMC ICMC ICMC Camp Capacity 100,000 Movement IDPs (NFIs) - Shelter New arrivals from Badghis and Ghor 11,000 16,000 IOM assisted IDPs return home in North-West for 2003 total of 23,000 WFP; food-for-work program vice distribution WHO, IMC, MSF, MDM, HRS, CHA, IbniSina; ICRC- IOM, UNHCR distributing additional tarps and blankets Western Region IDP Camps (cont.) Minaret 1 & 2 Rawza Herat City Type IDP camp IDP camp IDP camp ICMC ICMC Camp Capacity IOM assisted 23,000 IDPs to return home from Mashlakh and Shaydayee in 2003; MSF reports Shaydayee to close remaining IDPs to be shifted to Maslakh WFP; general food distribution to end April; Shift to food-for-work program vice distribution MSF, UNHCR Less than 2,000 Less than 500 remain Less than 5,000 Movement IDPs MDM doing food supplements Non- Items (NFIs) - Shelter UNHCR and NGO providing tents Officially closed 12

13 Refugee s in Pakistan UNHCR is caring for almost 200,000 refugees in Pakistan, including 120,000 people in nine camps and one transit area in Baluchistan Province, and 65,000 in seven camps in the Northwest Frontier Province (NWFP). UNHCR plans to close all post-september 2001 new camps near the border by September 2004 six camps in Baluchistan and six camps in NWFP; Over 20,000 refugees reported fleeing Pakistani anti-foreign fighter operations and entering Afghanistan s Paktika province; IOM to organize overseas polling for upcoming Afghan presidential elections in October on behalf of UNAMA. Baluchistan Province Baluchistan Province Movement of Refugees NFIs Shelter 120,000 people in 9 camps and one transit area Afghans in no-man s land relocated to Zhare Dasht and Mohamed Khele; Plans to close other camps in vicinity of Chaman before September; Extra inducements offered this month for refugees to return to Afghanistan; WFP Medicins du Monde; MSF, AMDA Sufficient security that allows UN and NGOs to conduct full operations implemented in camps after threat in June; IFRC, Medicins du Monde; Action Contre la Faim Refugee Camps in Baluchistan, Pakistan Mohamed Khele 1 & 2 (85 km southwest of Quetta) Roghani (new) (16 km from Chaman) Type Refugee Camp Refugee Camp UNHCR/Rotary Intl. UNHCR Camp Capacity 80,000 17,000 - full 37,000 Pashtuns 17,000 No-man s land 8,000 refugees have been relocated from noman s land Refugee Movement 13

14 WFP, CRS, ARC WFP, MSF,MSF Non- Items (NFIs) - Shelter CRS IFRC, MDM IFRC, MDM, Oxfam Refugee Camps in Baluchistan, Pakistan (cont.) Landi Karez (5 km Tor Tangi (20 km Lejay Karez (75 from Roghani) from Chaman) km from Quetta) new Latifabad (10 km from Mohammad Kheil) Type Refugee Camp Refugee Camp Refugee Camp Refugee Camp UNHCR UAE Red Crescent UNHCR UNHCR Camp Capacity 10,000 10,000 8,600 16,500 10,000 5,700 6,350 ethnic minorities Refugee Movement From Quetta WFP WFP WFP MSF AMDA AMDA IFRC, MDM, Oxfam IFRC, MDM IFRC, MDM IFRC North West Frontier Province (NWFP), Pakistan ; Refugee Movement Non- Items (NFIs) - Shelter North West Frontier Province 65,000 in seven camps; 1,404,000 refugees have returned; WFP continues to be a problem in Kurram Agency 14

15 Refugee Camps in NWFP, Pakistan 37,600 were in Shamshatoo; 35,000 among five remaining camps New Shamshatoo (60 km Kotkai (Bajur Agency 120 Barkali (Bajur Agency) southwest of Peshawar) Km northwest of Peshawar) Type Refugee Camp Refugee Camp Refugee Camp UNHCR Camp Capacity 75,000 20,000 26,000 16,000 1,000 Refugees returning to Refugee Movement Afghanistan; 5,000 from Shalman WFP, IRC WFP WFP NFI - Shelter CRS Primarily for Pashtuns Old Bagzai (Kurram Bassu (Kurram Agency) Asgharo (Kurram Agency) Agency) Type Refugee Camp Refugee Camp Refugee Camp UNHCR UNHCR UNHCR Camp Capacity 10,000 12,200 Refugee Movement 18,000 among three Kurram Agency camps 18,000 among three Kurram Agency camps 18,000 among three Kurram Agency camps WFP; WFP WFP IRC Water & San Private trucks deliver food due to security situation CRS Private trucks deliver food due to security situation Private trucks deliver food due to security situation Established camp for Tajiks, Uzbeks, and Turkmens For Shiite refugees, mostly Tajik and Hazaras Relocated refugees from Jalozai and urban Peshawar 15