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Afghanistan: Weekly Humanitarian Update (11 – 17 November 2019)

Countries
Afghanistan
+ 2 more
Sources
OCHA
Publication date

KEY FIGURES

IDPS IN 2019 (AS OF 17 NOV)

380,300 People displaced by conflict
346,100 Received assistance

NATURAL DISASTER IN 2019 (AS OF 13 OCT)

295,700 Number of people affected by natural disasters

RETURNEES IN 2019 (AS OF 02 NOV)

410,100 Returnees from Iran
23,700 Returnees from Pakistan
24,400 Returnees from other countries

HRP REQUIREMENTS & FUNDING

612M Requested (US$)
423M 69% funded (US$)

AFGHANISTAN HUMANITARIAN FUND (AHF)

90.54M Contributions including carry-over (US$)
62.60M Expenditure (US$)
27.94M Available for allocation (US$)

South: Conflict continued in Zabul province

Conflict continued between a non-state armed group (NSAG) and the Afghan National Security Forces (ANSF) in Qalat and Shah Joi districts in Zabul province. Last week, a woman and her child were wounded when a rocket landed in their house in Shinkay district, Zabul province. Five civilian were also reportedly killed in Hilmand province and in Tirinkot, Uruzgan province due to NSAG attacks. On 14 November, according to local authorities in Zabul, 250 families (approximately 1,750 people) were displaced within Arghandab district due to conflict. Humanitarian partners are working to access the area to assess the needs of internally displaced persons (IDPs).

Lack of mobile phone networks and risk of improvised explosive devices (IEDs) in contested areas, particularly in Shah Joi and Arghandab districts in Zabul province, severely hampers information gathering and needs assessment of IDPs in the area. On 14 November, interagency assessment teams verified 346 people who were displaced by conflict in Tirinkot, Uruzgan province. They were provided with humanitarian assistance on 19 November. Humanitarian partners will assess the needs of 840 people who were displaced by conflict in Zabul in the coming days.

East: Thousands displaced by conflict

A military operation that began on 27 October in Achin and Sherzad districts in Nangarhar province has resulted in the temporary closure of two health facilities. As of 13 November, at least 35,161 people have been deprived of access to health services due to the closure of a total of five health facilities in eastern part of the country. On 17 November, around 572 people were displaced from Achin District to Jalalabad City in Nangarhar province. The displaced are mainly women and children. The UN is working closely with humanitarian partners and local authorities in Nangahar to assess and determine their needs. Some humanitarian assistance such as food, blankets, winter clothing and hygiene kits has already been distributed.

Interagency assessment teams identified 4,718 recently displaced IDPs across the region as being in need who will receive humanitarian assistance in the coming days. 8,960 IDPs and returnees were reached with cash, food rations, water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH), health services and relief items such as items for winter.

As part of health response preparedness, medical supplies have been pre-positioned in Laghman health facilities (including Mehtarlam Provincial Hospital) to strengthen mass casualty management and health emergency response capacity. A case of Crimean Congo Hemorrhagic Fever (CCHF) was reported in Jalalabad City.

Northeast: 21,826 people received humanitarian assistance

Fighting between NSAG and ANSF continued in Dand-e-Shahabuddin, Baghlan-e-Jadid districts in Baghlan province. 200 families (approximately 1,400 people) were displaced to Pul-e-Khumri city and surrounding villages in Baghlan province.

Across the region, 21,826 people received humanitarian assistance in Takhar, Badakhshan, and Kunduz provinces. On 13 November, 34 families (approximately 238 people) who were affected by a flash flood received humanitarian aid in Khwaja Bahawuddin and Yangi Qala districts in Takhar province. In addition, 455 new IDPs who were affected by conflict were assessed and will receive assistance in the coming days.

North: Almost 60,000 people receive food aid for winter

Fighting between ANSF and a NSAG continued to affect civilians in Faryab, Balkh and Jawzjan provinces. Reports indicated that civilians were displaced in Andkhoy and Pashtun Kot districts in Faryab province. Needs assessments of the newly displaced in Andkhoy district and Maymana city are ongoing.

Inter-agency teams verified 1,638 IDPs in Jawzjan, Faryab, Sar-e-Pul and Balkh provinces as being in need of assistance. During the reporting period, 693 IDPs displaced by conflict received humanitarian assistance in Balkh province. Also, 58,325 people received food as a part of winterization assistance in the northern part of the country.

West: More than 16,000 IDPs in need of humanitarian aid

Following the completion of a joint needs assessment, 1,189 IDPs in Farah and Badghis who were newly displaced by conflict will receive cash for food, relief items, winter kits and WASH items. However, humanitarian partners could not reach the remaining 14,966 IDPs who were identified as in need of humanitarian assistance between March and April due to insecurity and access constraints in Bala Murghab district, Badghis province. Humanitarian partners are working to resolved the issues and will deliver aid to people in need as soon as access allows.

Centre: 651 people received humanitarian assistance

Last week, joint assessment teams verified 1,043 people as being in need of humanitarian assistance due to conflict in Ghazni and Logar provinces. On 12 November, 651 people received humanitarian assistance in Matun district, Khost province.

On 13 November, a car bomb detonated in the Qasaba area in Kabul city killed 12 people, including children, and injured 17 others. The incident followed a period of relative calm in Kabul in October.

Funding Updates

The Afghanistan Humanitarian Fund has disbursed US $24.5 million through 16 grants focusing on winterisation and the winter planting season out of the $32 million from the third reserve allocation. The remaining funds will be disbursed in the coming days.

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