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Afghanistan: Weekly Humanitarian Update (2 - 8 September 2019)

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Afghanistan
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OCHA
Publication date

Northeast: Fighting continues, aid to Kunduz city

Fighting between the Taliban and Afghan National Security Forces (ANSF) in Kunduz that began on 31 August continued in districts around the outside of the city. However, on 6 September, fighting calmed in the city that, according to Government sources, allowed approximately 21,700 people to return.
Approximately 7,000 additional people remain displaced in other provinces, though this figure needs to be verified. Main roads around the province remain closed blocking the movement of civilians and essential goods.
Assessments within and around Kunduz city are on-going. Initial findings show that more than 200 homes were partially damaged by conflict. Humanitarian partners have either mobilised or committed food or cash assistance, water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) and relief items for more than 1,500 people in need in Kunduz City.
Military operations were ongoing in Eshkmesh district in Takhar province during the past week. Government figures report that 14 people were killed, 31 people were injured and more than 345 houses were destroyed. Between 1 and 7 September, approximately 5,495 internally displaced persons (IDPs) affected by conflict were identified to be in need of assistance in Kunduz and Baghlan provinces.

North: 1,400 people displaced by clashes

Clashes between Non-State Armed Groups (NSAG) and ANSF in Balkh and Faryab provinces caused more than 1,400 people to flee to Andkhoy, Khan-eChar Bagh and Qurghan districts in Faryab province. On 5 September, humanitarian agencies conducted needs assessments in Andkhoy and Khane-Char Bagh.
During the past week, inter-agency teams verified 1,232 IDPs in Balkh, Jawzjan and Sar-e-Pul provinces previously displaced by the fighting. In Balkh province, most IDPs are very recently displaced while in Jawzjan and Sar-e-Pul provinces, the majority of IDPs were displaced in the last three to six months. In the past week, humanitarian partners provided cash for food and relief items to 126 IDPs in Andkhoy district in Faryab province.
East: Over 4,000 people received humanitarian assistance On 1 September, a Government basic health center in the Kakrak area in Nangarhar province was damaged by fighting. The incident will deprive up to 11,000 people of access to medical services. The staff have been temporarily reassigned in other health facilities.
Between 1 and 7 September, over 4,641 IDPs affected by conflict in Kunar, Laghman and Nangahar were assisted with food, WASH and other relief items.

Centre: Continuing violence and insecurity affecting civilans

Two explosions in Kabul on 2 and 5 September resulted in dozens of civilian deaths and injuries. Against the backdrop of US-Taliban talks and upcoming elections scheduled for 28 September, the overall security situation remained volatile in the Centre and throughout the country. There were also reports of improvised explosive device attacks and airstrikes in Kabul, Logar and Maidan Wardak provinces.
On 2 September, heavy rains and flooding in Parwan province caused damage to houses, infrastructure, agricultural lands and the closure of the Parwan – Mazar highway in Salang district. A joint assessment team identified 707 people as in need of humanitarian assistance. Humanitarian actors will distribute cash for food, relief items, and WASH to all verified disaster affected families in the coming days. Humanitarian partners also assisted 1,281 conflict affected IDPs with a range of assistance in Bamyan, Panjsher, Paktika and Parwan provinces.

West: Security sitiution deteriorated in Farah and Hirat

The security situation in Hirat and Farah provinces deteriorated. On 5 September, the acting head of Afghanistan’s Independent Human Rights Commission (AIHRC) in Ghor province was reportedly assassinated in Jalriz district of Wardak province. On 6 September, four people were reportedly killed and 19 others injured as a result of clashes between the ANSF and NSAGs in Farah.
During the previous week week, inter-agency assessment teams identified 868 IDPs in Adraskan and Pashtun Zarghun districts in Hirat who were displaced on 3 September as in need of cash for food and WASH. Also, cash for food, WASH, relief items and hygiene kits for women have been committed for 156 IDPs in Badghis province.

South: Clashes in rural areas, new polio cases reported

Insecurity increased in the South due to clashes between NSAGs and the ANSF in rural areas in Uruzgan, Hilmand, Zabul and Kandahar provinces. Reportedly, more than 300 families were displaced in Zabul and Kandahar provinces. On 1 September, 298 IDPs displaced by conflict were assisted with food, cash for relief items and WASH in Zaranj district of Nimroz province.
Two new polio cases were confirmed in Tirinkot and Chora districts in Uruzgan province. 15 polio cases have been reported this year across the country with 14 of the 15 cases in the South.

Funding updates

On 5 September, the Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) allocated US $16 million to Afghanistan as an under-funded emergency, to support humanitarian needs: $8 million for health, $4 million for WASH, $2 million for nutrition and $2 million for protection. UN agencies and their national and international humanitarian partners in Afghanistan will implement nine-month emergency projects to address humanitarian emergency needs in health, nutrition, protection, WASH, child protection, mine action and community-based protection monitoring. This allocation will support the humanitarian needs of the vulnerable people in 22 provinces.

UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs: To learn more about OCHA's activities, please visit https://www.unocha.org/.