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Afghanistan: Weekly Humanitarian Update (7 – 13 September 2020)

Countries
Afghanistan
+ 2 more
Sources
OCHA
Publication date

North-east: 35,065 people are in need of assistance

Fighting between Afghan National Security Forces (ANSF) and a non-state armed group (NSAG) continued across the north-east. Since late August, 8,783 families (about 61,481 people) who were displaced in Khanabad and Imam Sahib districts in Kunduz province were assessed. Among them, 4,664 families (32,648 people) were identified to receive immediate humanitarian assistance. Humanitarian assistance has reached 2,675 families (18,725 people). 22 interagency assessment teams continued to assess needs on the ground in Kunduz province.

In Baghlan province, fighting reportedly killed two civilians in the Dara-e-Feroz areas of Khost Wa Fereng district and displaced 180 families (about 1,260 people) to the safer places in surrounding villages. In Takhar province, following successful negotiations between the local community and the party to the conflict, 200 families (1,400 people) returned to their place of origin in the Nahri-Ab area, Farkhar district.

This week alone, interagency assessment teams identified 1,392 families (approximately 9,744 people) displaced by conflict to receive humanitarian assistance in Badakhshan, Baghlan, Kunduz and Takhar provinces. Humanitarian assistance reached 4,627 people affected by conflict in Kunduz and Takhar provinces. In addition, 1,796 vulnerable and food-insecure people due to COVID-19 were reached with humanitarian assistance in Baghlan and Kunduz provinces.

East: Tele-education reaches 360,000 students

The security situation remained volatile across the east mainly in Nangarhar, Laghman and Kunar provinces. On 7 September, two children were reportedly killed and three others were injured by an improvised explosive device (IED) detonation in Ghaziabad district, Kunar province.

In Nangarhar, 4,690 Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) who were displaced by clashes near the border on 4 September were identified by interagency assessment teams for immediate humanitarian assistance in Muhmand Dara, Achin and Shinwar districts. Needs assessments are ongoing for 287 newly displaced people in Lalpur district, Nangarhar province. To strengthen earlier response, a humanitarian partner is assessing the additional needs of 264 families (1,848 people) affected by heavy rains and floods in Kuz Kunar and Rodat districts in Nangarhar province.

During the reporting period, interagency assessment teams identified 22,540 IDPs as being in need of immediate humanitarian assistance. This week, 12,593 people affected by conflict and natural disasters received humanitarian assistance across the east. A total of 4,554 returnees, IDPs and people from host communities were reached with emergency outpatient health services and 394 children were vaccinated for polio and measles. Humanitarian partners continued tele-education programmes reaching approximately 360,000 students and a humanitarian partner donated 600 blackboards to education departments across the east. A total of 14,363 children including 7,214 girls and 7,147 boys were reached with psychosocial services through Child-Friendly Spaces across 16 districts in the east.

North: 1,474 people received humanitarian assistance

The security situation remained volatile, with the number of security incidents increasing slightly to 105 compared to 97 in the previous reporting period. Armed clashes intensified between ANSF and an NSAG mainly in Balkh, Faryab, Sar-e-Pul and Jawzjan provinces and resulted in the suspension of civilian movements along main roads. Civilians reportedly fled their homes due to fighting in Qaysar district to remote villages in Qaysar district and Maymana city. According to local authorities, some 1,190 families were displaced which will be verified by joint assessment teams in Maymana city. There were some delays in accessing and assessing displaced families due to ongoing fighting and security challenges, but the security situation has since improved, although sporadic fighting continued to be reported.

A total of 914 people were verified as displaced by conflict in Balkh, Faryab, Sar-e-Pul and Jawzjan provinces by interagency assessment teams and will receive assistance in the coming days. A total of 1,474 people received humanitarian assistance across the north.

South: Increased insecurity resulted in the closure of a health facility

During the reporting period, the security situation in the south remained volatile with reports of IED detonations and hostilities between ANSF and NSAG mainly in Kandahar, Hilmand and Zabul provinces. Reportedly, three civilians were injured by a roadside IED detonation in Shah Wali Kot district, Kandahar province. Also, 3,500 people were displaced in Shah Wali Kot district and other contested districts in Kandahar city. Interagency assessment teams were deployed to assess the needs of displaced people in Kandahar. According to initial reports, a health facility was closed due to ongoing fighting in Miyanshin, Kandahar Province. The closure of this health facility deprived nearly 15,000 people of access to health services. As the hostilities between the ANSF and NSAG intensified in Dehrawud and Tirinkot district in Uruzgan province, the movements of all types of supplies have been interrupted in Chinarto district in Uruzgan province which resulted in increased food prices and may put people at risk of food insecurity. Government agencies responded to needs by airlifting 9 metric tonnes of wheat for 6,000 people and medical supplies for three months to Chinarto district.

West: 710 people who returned from Iran received humanitarian aid

During the reporting period, the security situation continued to be tense across the west. Reportedly, two civilians were killed during clashes between the ANSF and NSAG in Badghis and Hirat provinces. According to local authorities, around 11,451 undocumented people returned to Afghanistan from Iran from 5 to 10 September of whom 710 received humanitarian assistance at the point of entry and a transit centre in Hirat city.

Centre: 4,900 people displaced in Paktya and Ghazni

The overall security situation in the centre remained volatile and unstable. On 9 September, 10 people were killed and nearly 15 others were injured by a roadside bomb attack in Police District 4 in Kabul city. To date, no group has claimed responsibility for this attack. A total of 5,040 people affected by recent floods were identified to receive humanitarian assistance in the coming days in Parwan and Maydan Wardak provinces. According to local authorities, 4,900 people were displaced in Paktya and Ghazni provinces while 91 IDPs were provided with humanitarian assistance in Kabul province.

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