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Pakistan: Polio vaccination drive begins in 51 districts

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Source: DAWN Group of Newspapers
Country: Pakistan

ISLAMABAD: The special response round of the polio campaign started in 51 selected districts of the country on Monday. During the campaign, as many as 13.32 million children will be vaccinated.

“It is a special campaign and only those districts have been included in it in which either polio cases were reported or presence of the virus of the crippling disease was observed in sewage water. Moreover, it has been decided to use Inactivated Polio Vaccine (IPV) in specific areas of three core reservoirs: Kara­chi, Quetta and Peshawar,” the Coordinator, National Emergency Operations Cen­tre, Dr Rana Muhammad Safdar told Dawn.

In reply to a question, Dr Safdar said that though children up to five years of age would be vaccinated, in 16 union councils (UCs) of Rawalpinid, the age limit has been enhanced to 10 years due to which around 88,000 more children would be vaccinated in those UCs.

“Over 10m children will be targeted with only oral polio vaccine (OPV). However in Karachi (10 towns), Quetta (3 districts) and Peshawar, along with OPV, IPV will also be administered to 2.97 million children aged between 4 to 59 months,” he said.

113.3 million children will be administered vaccination drops during the campaign

The OPV is a vaccine in which live but weak polio viruses are given to a child and they remove the risk of virus transfer from one child to another. The IPV are dead viruses which are injected in the body and they remove chances of the disease to a child who receives the IPV.

Dr Safdar said that of 192 UCs, in 100 UCs of Karachi, IPV would be administered, adding that IPV would also be administrated in three districts of Quetta, Pishin and Killa Abdullah.

“It will be a three-day campaign plus one to two catch up days elsewhere and five to six days campaign plus two days catch up in the core reservoir districts and in other high-risk areas. In Peshawar and Quetta, it is 10 and 12 days’ campaign respectively,” he said.

A total of around 90,000 personnel will strive to achieve the set targets across the country.

“The campaign is synchronised with Afghanistan to ensure vaccination of all children on the move as well. Considering its significance, the National EOC has deployed 60 experts to facilitate preparedness and ground implementation of campaign activities by local teams in these priority areas,” Dr Safdar said.


Syrian Arab Republic: Press briefing notes on Syria and India

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Source: UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights
Country: India, Pakistan, Syrian Arab Republic

Spokesperson for the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights: Rupert Colville
Location: Geneva
Date:19 February 2019

1) Syria/Idlib

The intensified ground-based bombardment of Idlib and surrounding areas by government forces and their allies in recent weeks, coupled with a series of attacks by non-State actors, has led to numerous civilian casualties and left some one million people, including hundreds of thousands of displaced people, in an extremely vulnerable situation, the UN Human Rights Chief said on Tuesday.

UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet called on all parties involved, as well as external governments with influence, to ensure that the protection of civilians is held paramount in the planning and execution of all military operations in accordance with international law.

“Civilians continue to be used as pawns by the various parties,” Bachelet said. “I call on them to provide safe passage to those who wish to flee, while those wish to remain must also be protected as much as possible. They should not be sacrificed to ideology on the one hand, or military expediency on the other. If protecting civilian lives means taking a few more days to capture the last fraction of land controlled by ISIL, then so be it.”

Read the full press release

2) India/Kashmir

The High Commissioner strongly condemns the suicide bomb attack against Indian security forces in Pulwama district of Jammu and Kashmir on 14 February and calls on authorities to bring those responsible to justice.

We are also saddened by the further loss of life reported from subsequent gun battles in Pulwama yesterday, 18 February, which is reported to have claimed 9 more lives.

We hope escalating tensions between the two nuclear-armed neighbours will not add further to the insecurity in the region.

The High Commissioner is also concerned by reports from India that some elements are using the Pulwama attack as justification for threats and potential acts of violence targeting Kashmiri and Muslim communities living in different parts of India. We acknowledge actions taken by the Indian authorities to tackle these incidents and we hope that the Government will continue to take steps to protect people from all forms of harm that may be directed at them on account of their ethnicity or identity. ** **

For more information and media requests, please contact: Rupert Colville - + 41 22 917 9767 / rcolville@ohchr.org or Ravina Shamdasani - + 41 22 917 9169 / rshamdasani@ohchr.org or Marta Hurtado - + 41 22 917 9466 / mhurtado@ohchr.org

Tag and share - Twitter: @UNHumanRights and Facebook: unitednationshumanrights

Greece: UNHCR Greece Cash Assistance Update (January 2019)

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Source: Catholic Relief Services, International Federation of Red Cross And Red Crescent Societies, UN High Commissioner for Refugees
Country: Afghanistan, Cameroon, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Greece, Iran (Islamic Republic of), Iraq, occupied Palestinian territory, Pakistan, Syrian Arab Republic, World

Overview

In January, 63,853 eligible refugees and asylum-seekers (30,762 families) received cash assistance in Greece, in 110 locations.

UNHCR provides cash assistance in Greece, as part of the ESTIA programme, funded by the European Commission. Cash assistance restores dignity and empowers asylum-seekers and refugees who can now choose how to cover their basic needs. It also contributes directly to the economy of the host community through the purchase of services and goods. UNHCR in Greece works with the Greece Cash Alliance partners the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) and Catholic Relief Services (CRS).

Demographics of Refugees and Asylum-Seekers Assisted with Cash

Since April 2017, 102,732 eligible individuals have received cash assistance in Greece at least once. Eligibility is assessed on the basis of one’s date of entry in the country, legal status and current location. Of the 63,853 individuals who received cash assistance this month, 11,400 have international protection in Greece. Out of 30,762 families, 23% were women, 38% men and 39% children. 32% of all who received cash assistance this month were families of five members or more and a further 30% were single adults.

The amount of cash assistance distributed to each household is proportionate to the family size. It ranges between 90 euros for an individual in catered accommodation, to 550 euros for a family of seven members or more in self-catered accommodation.

Pakistan: Swabi schools witness 31 per cent increase in students’ enrolment rate after UNHCR’s intervention

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Source: UN High Commissioner for Refugees
Country: Germany, Pakistan

SWABI, 19 February 2019: Government schools in district Swabi in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa have seen 31 per cent increase in their students enrolment rate after UNHCR’s intervention.

The project, funded by the Federal Republic of Germany and launched by UNHCR and the provincial government was aimed at strengthening the existing infrastructure, expanding the capacity of three government schools and creating safer learning environment.

These schools were without adequate facilities. UNHCR through the Refugee Affected and Hosting Areas (RAHA) programme constructed and rehabilitated 28 classrooms, 20 latrines and provided furniture sets for students and teachers for all the 28 classrooms.

The newly-constructed and rehabilitated Government Girls’ Higher Secondary School Topi, Government Primary School Gala and Government Primary School Gandaf were handed over to the provincial Education Department at an inauguration ceremony held in Swabi on Tuesday.

Speaker National Assembly Mr. Asad Qaiser was the chief guest on the occasion. The event was attended by German Ambassador, Mr. Martin Kobler, UNHCR Country Representative in Pakistan, Ms. Ruvendrini Menikdiwela, Provincial Additional Education Secretary, Abdul Basit, Commissioner for Afghan Refugees Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Mr. Abbas Khan, head of UNHCR office in Peshawar, Dinesh Shrestha and officials from different departments.

Speaking at the occasion, Ms. Menikdiwela extended gratitude to the German government for extending generous support to RAHA programme. She lauded the provincial government’s efforts to provide refugee children with access to education through inclusion into Government schools, alongside their Pakistani peers.

She said education is the basic right of every child and UNHCR, under the RAHA programme, has been trying to further improve the quality of education in different districts. “Providing such support is one way of showing solidarity with these communities that have generously hosted refugees for many years,” she said.

Asad Qaiser, Speaker of the National Assembly appreciated UNHCR and the Government of Germany for supporting the government in its development initiatives in different sectors. These initiatives have indeed greatly improved the learning environment in the schools which will yield positive results.

“Happy to support the Refugees Affected & Hosting Area Programme (RAHA) of UNHCR with 10 million Euro. This fosters a peaceful co-existence between the Afghan refugees and the local population in KP. What better way than to construct a school – a place where children, the future of Pakistan, come together to get education – a first step towards a better chance in life,” said Mr. Martin Kobler, German Ambassador to Pakistan.

Since its start in 2009, some 4,200 RAHA projects have been implemented across Pakistan in the sectors of health, education, infrastructure, livelihoods, water and sanitation. These projects benefited 12.4 million individual including 85 per cent Pakistanis and 15 per cent Afghan refugees.

India: ACLED Regional Overview – Asia (19 February 2019)

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Source: Armed Conflict Location and Events Dataset
Country: Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Cambodia, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, Philippines, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Viet Nam

Last week, in Asia, organized violence remained static while overall demonstrations decreased slightly. In South Asia, Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) launched a major militant attack on security personnel in India’s Jammu & Kashmir, leading to nationwide demonstrations. In Southeast Asia, rubber bullets were fired at protesters in Myanmar opposed to the installation of the Bogyoke Aung San statue in Kayah state, while in southern Thailand, separatist violence led to five reported civilian deaths.

In Afghanistan last week, fighting continued between multiple armed groups and Afghan/NATO forces throughout the country. The heaviest concentration of clashes occurred in the provinces of Ghazni, Faryab, and Helmand. In the latter, an overnight operation by Afghan Special Forces in the Pozy area of Sangin district reportedly killed at least 25 Taliban militants, and four civilians – although the Taliban reported higher civilian fatalities. Elsewhere in another major clash, Taliban militants attacked a border security post in the Sru Sahan area of Shorabak district, Kandahar province, and reportedly killed at least nine Afghan soldiers while suffering 16 losses themselves. The Taliban reported that the base was captured and 23 soldiers were killed.

Meanwhile, scheduled talks between the Taliban and representatives from Pakistan – and possibly the US – were called off last week following protests by the Afghan government to the United Nations Security Council. Similar protests had earlier been made regarding recent Taliban/Afghan opposition talks in Moscow, which the government deemed a violation of their national sovereignty. The Afghan government has thus far been left out of several peace negotiations between the Taliban and representatives from other states, mostly due to the Taliban’s unwillingness to negotiate with the Afghan government on the pretext that they are a so-called “Western puppet” (RFERL, 17 February 2019).

In Pakistan, several attacks on security forces, members of political parties, and civilians were reported from across the country last week. Four security personnel were injured when a suicide bomber targeted a convoy in Balochistan province. Meanwhile, in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, unidentified armed men opened fire on a police patrol, reportedly killing five policemen and injuring two civilians (Nation, 13 February 2019). In Sindh province, unidentified armed men reportedly shot dead two Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) workers in separate incidents on 14 February, while a Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) Union Councilor was fatally shot in an incident on 11 February. In North Waziristan district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, a tribal leader was reportedly killed and a youth injured in two separate IED explosions.

In other developments, province-wide protests, rallies, and sit-ins were organized by nationalist parties including Jeay Sindh Tehreek (JST), Sindh United Party (SUP), and Jeay Sindh Qaumi Movement (JSQM) in Sindh, against the killing of JST’s Karachi chapter President Irshad Ahmed Ranjhani. Ranjhani was shot dead on 6 February when he allegedly attempted to rob Union Council (UC) chairman, Abdul Raheem Shah (Dawn, 11 February 2019).

In India, a major militant attack, firefights between militants and security forces, as well as several explosions resulted in one of the deadliest weeks in Jammu & Kashmir in recent decades. A Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) suicide bomber rammed a Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) convoy with an explosives-laden vehicle in Pulwama district, reportedly between 37 and 49 CRPF troopers dead. In addition, six militants and one soldier were reportedly killed during encounters between militants and security forces, with another soldier killed when an IED exploded near the Line of Control (LoC). A further two unexplained explosions reportedly left a civilian dead in Kupwara district and injured at least a dozen school children in Pulwama district.

The latest spate of violence sparked nationwide demonstrations condemning the attack. While demonstrations remained largely peaceful outside of Jammu & Kashmir, large-scale violent rioting was reported throughout Jammu division. Additionally, members of the Kashmiri community were attacked by mobs of people seeking revenge in several parts of the country, particularly in North India.

In other developments, the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill was not ratified by the Rajya Sabha (Upper House of Parliament) during its session on 13 February, the last session before the upcoming general elections (Indian Express, 18 February 2019). In Manipur, after several days of statewide protests, the demonstrations have been suspended by civil organizations. Meanwhile, violent clashes erupted between the police and Samajwadi Party (SP) supporters all across Uttar Pradesh after the government prevented SP leader Akhilesh Yadav from taking a flight headed for a political rally in Allahabad.

In Bangladesh, student elections at Dhaka University dominated last week’s demonstrations as different student groups demanded the setting up of polling stations away from residential halls.

In Nepal, last week, the government has come under severe criticism by national and international media for proposing a new law that would introduce harsh punishments for posting or propagating anti-government content on social networking sites. Opponents of the law state that the government is trying to curtail the freedom of expression guaranteed by the constitution (Business Standard, 15 February 2019).

In Sri Lanka, teachers under the Ceylon Teacher Services Union launched an island-wide protest campaign on 15 February against the verdict of the Kurunegala High Court sentencing a school teacher to two years of imprisonment on charges of assaulting a student in 2011 (News First, 15 February 2019).

In Myanmar, as clashes continued between the Myanmar military and Arakan Army (AA) in Rakhine state, fighting between two Shan armed groups, the Restoration Council of Shan State/Shan State Army-South (RCSS/SSA-S) and Shan State Progress Party/Shan State Army-North (SSPP/SSA-N), occurred in Kyaukme, Shan state.

Meanwhile, on Union Day (12 February), a day commemorating the 1947 Panglong Agreement negotiated between independence leader Bogyoke Aung San and several ethnic groups, protesters in Kayah state were met with rubber bullets as they continued to demonstrate against the installation of the Bogyoke Aung San statue in Loikaw by the National League for Democracy (NLD) government. A protest in solidarity with the Karenni youth demonstrating in Loikaw was likewise held in downtown Yangon. Protesters view the installation of the Bogyoke Aung San statue in ethnic minority states as an affront to the idea of equal rights for all ethnic groups in Myanmar as Bogyoke Aung San was from the majority Burman group (Radio Free Asia, 12 February 2019). The installation of his statue when similar statues of ethnic minority leaders are not supported (The Irrawaddy, 5 February 2018) has exacerbated tensions between ethnic minorities and the government and military.

Rival protests also were held last week in Myanmar concerning the 2008 constitution with several protests held by those supportive of the NLD’s bid to change the constitution and one opposing rally held by nationalists in favor of limited changes to the constitution. The NLD recently attempted to start the process of amending the constitution in parliament, a move met with resistance by the military (Frontier Myanmar, 18 February 2019).

Separatist violence continued last week across Pattani, Narathiwat, and Yala provinces in southern Thailand. Five civilians reportedly were killed by suspected separatists. As well, a battle between suspected separatists and security forces reportedly left two separatists dead. A bomb targeting Thai rangers went off in Narathiwat without injuring anyone. With Mara Patani, an umbrella group of separatist groups, waiting until after the general elections in March to determine whether it will continue its participation in the peace process (Geopolitical Monitor, 15 February 2019), separatist violence looks likely to continue in the south.

In the Philippines, clashes between the Philippine military and the Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) led to five reported fatalities. As well, a battle between the Philippine military and the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF) led to three reported deaths. Across the country, drug-violence persisted with 12 reported fatalities from police raids across the Calabarzon and Central Luzon regions. With the arrest of Rappler CEO Maria Ressa last week on cyber libel charges (Rappler, 18 February 2019), politically-motivated harassment of the media threatens independent reporting critical of the Duterte administration on a range of issues, especially the ongoing drug violence in the country.

In Indonesia, a Papuan man was shot by police who alleged he was a thief. Police violence against Papuans also made the news recently when police used a snake to torture a man in police custody (Reuters, 11 February 2019). Meanwhile, Valentine’s Day (14 February) led to two protests by groups of Muslim youth who demonstrated against the day, claiming it promotes Western decadence in contrast to the modesty of Islam.

There were likewise protests concerning morality in Malaysia last week when several Malaysian Islamic Party (PAS) youth in Penang protested against a play for its supposed obscene content. Another demonstration in Penang led to the arrest of two Malaysian United Indigenous Party (BERSATU) youth who were protesting in solidarity with people evicted from their homes.

In Cambodia, in Phnom Penh, over 100 former garment workers from the W&D factory protested, calling for their reinstatement after they were sacked for inciting a strike. Workers from W&D factory have staged several protests over the past two months.

As well, in Ha Tinh Province in Vietnam, dozens of households set up a protest camp outside the Phu Ha Waste Treatment Plant to demonstrate against the pollution caused by the plant.

No political violence or protest events were recorded for Laos last week.

Afghanistan: Return of Undocumented Afghans - Weekly Situation Report (10 - 16 February 2019)

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Source: International Organization for Migration
Country: Afghanistan, Iran (Islamic Republic of), Pakistan

Highlights

  • 47,403 total returns from Iran and Pakistan since 01 Jan 2019
  • 45,390 total returns from Iran since 01 Jan 2019 2,013 total returns from Pakistan since 01 Jan 2019
  • 5,085 undocumented Afghans returned from Iran 319 undocumented Afghans returned from Pakistan
  • 8% of returnees from Iran (382 individuals) assisted
  • 88% of returnees from Pakistan (294 individuals) assisted

Return from Iran

A total of 5,085 undocumented Afghans spontaneously returned or were deported from Iran through the Milak (Nimroz) and Herat (Islam Qala) border crossings between 10—10 Feb 2019, 6% less than in the previous week (5,387). 2,156 returned voluntarily, 2,929 were deported. This brings the total number of undocumented returnees from Iran since 01 January 2018 to 45,390. IOM provided post-arrival humanitari- an assistance to 382 (8%) undocumented Afghans deported from Iran at its Transit Centers in Nimroz and Herat, including 49 Unaccompanied Migrant Children (UMC), 50 Medical Cases (MC), 44 members of Single Parent Families (SP), 10 Physically Disabled (PD), 62 Special Cases (SC), 4 Unaccompanied Elderly (UE), 2 Drug Addicted (DA), 20 members of a Poor Family (PF), 3 Single Females (SF) and 1 Chronically Ill (CI).

Pakistan: Japan supports vulnerable families in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Sindh and Balochistan

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Source: UN Development Programme, World Food Programme
Country: Afghanistan, Japan, Pakistan

ISLAMABAD – Japan has announced its contribution of US$10.6 million to fight malnutrition, improve livelihoods and increase resilience to natural disasters in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Sindh and Balochistan provinces of Pakistan. This is part of a partnership that the Government of Japan signed with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the World Food Programme (WFP) in Islamabad today. Out of the total US$10.6 million, US$3.5 million will be used towards the early identification and treatment of 155,000 acutely malnourished mothers and children in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, including families who have been displaced from Afghanistan and vulnerable host populations.

“WFP is extremely grateful for the continued partnership and generosity of the Japanese Government in providing emergency life-saving nutritional support for malnourished mothers and children. We are proud to be working together to support some of Pakistan’s most vulnerable families,” said WFP Representative Finbarr Curran.

The Japanese contribution also includes US$3.55 million towards UNDP’s Stabilization through Inclusive Livelihoods initiative in the Tribal Districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, which is being implemented in close collaboration with the Government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and the erstwhile FATA Secretariat. It will support 20,700 people by improving their access to basic services, enhancing their economic opportunities and improving social cohesion in Kurram and Orakzai tribal districts.

In addition, the Japanese Government will support the Government of Pakistan at national and local levels to prepare for natural disasters, pilot tsunami early warning systems, and enhance resilience of coastal communities to coastal hazards with a specific focus on women and children. Implemented in Malir and Karachi West districts of Sindh and Gwadar district of Balochistan province, this project will benefit 15,000 people.

The project is being implemented by UNDP in partnership with the National Disaster Management Authority, Provincial DMAs of Sindh and Balochistan, Pakistan Meteorological Department, district administrations of Karachi (Malir and West Karachi) and Gwadar, and other technical and community-based organizations working in the coastal areas.

“Empowering vulnerable local communities and enhancing their resilience to withstand crises requires coordinated efforts by all stakeholders. The generous support provided by the Government of Japan will be an important step towards helping improve livelihoods of the people returning to the Tribal Districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and will complement efforts to support successful implementation of the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction in the coastal areas of Sindh and Balochistan,” said Ignacio Artaza, Resident Representative a.i., UNDP Pakistan.

“Through these fundings for Afghan Refugees and their hosting communities, and the people in the newly merged districts of KP, we would like to show our message to the people that Japan continues its support for the stabilization of their life. By sharing experiences of natural disasters in Japan, we secure our cooperation to share efficient monitoring and warning systems for earthquake and tsunami through UNDP’s policy and instructive support.” said the Japanese Ambassador Designate Kuninori Matsuda.

“These projects reflect the continued efforts of the United Nations system in Pakistan to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals. We appreciate the support of the Government of Japan and the cooperation of UNDP and WFP for these interventions that will help support development for the people of Pakistan” said Zulfiqar Haider, Additional Secretary, Economic Affairs Division.

“This initiative is a welcome step to enhance the capability of the Government of Pakistan to tackle crises. The United Nations is a trusted partner of NDMA and we hope to continue this partnership to work with communities to enhance their resilience with support from the Government of Japan” said Lt. Gen. Omar Mahmood Hayat, Chairman, National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA).

WFP and UNDP thank the Government of Japan for its generous contribution to support the vulnerable people of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Sindh and Balochistan provinces of Pakistan.

                                     #                           #                            #

The United Nations World Food Programme - saving lives in emergencies and changing lives for millions through sustainable development. WFP works in more than 80 countries around the world, feeding people caught in conflict and disasters, and laying the foundations for a better future.

UNDP partners with people at all levels of society to help build nations that can withstand crisis, and drive and sustain the kind of growth that improves the quality of life for everyone. On the ground in nearly 170 countries and territories, we offer global perspective and local insight to help empower lives and build resilient nations. www.undp.org

Follow us on Twitter @WFPPakistan and @WFP_AsiaPacific

Contact

Mahira Afzal, WFP/Pakistan, Mob. +92 345 8559333, mahira.afzal@wfp.org,

Fatimah Inayet, UNDP/Pakistan, fatimah.inayet@undp.org

Sajid Abbasi, Embassy of Japan in Pakistan, , Mob. +92 3335117548, sajid.abbasi@ib.mofa.go.jp

Pakistan: PDMA Sindh: Progress Report of Ration Bags Distributed among Pregnant and Lactating Women by 18.02.2019

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Source: Government of Pakistan
Country: Pakistan


Pakistan: Polio spreads in Afghanistan and Pakistan 'due to unchecked borders'

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Source: The Guardian
Country: Afghanistan, Pakistan

The unmonitored movement of people across the border between Pakistanand Afghanistan threatens efforts to eradicate polio from the two countries, as the year’s first cases of the virus are recorded in the volatile region.

The Global Polio Eradication Initiative said people travelling through unchecked crossings is believed to be one of the main causes of the spread of the disease in the area.

Pakistan and Afghanistan, along with Nigeria, are the only three countries in the world where polio remains endemic.

Read more on the Guardian

Pakistan: Pakistan Drought: Situation Updates Balochistan, Sitrep 3, Alert Level Orange - II

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Source: Muslim Aid
Country: Pakistan

Highlights of Issues and Achievements

Below is the key development of the situation during the reporting period.

• On 15 February, PDMA called General Coordination Meeting in Quetta in which UNOCHA formally announced the establishment of working groups in Quetta. PDMA welcomes international organizations and donor agencies to work in drought-affected areas of Balochistan after getting NOC from PDMA.

• MA has conducted an initial rapid need assessment in three districts of Balochistan. The report has been shared with multiple donor organizations.

• MA emergency response team has conducted meetings with Head of World Food Programme Balochistan, Head of World Health Organization Balochistan, Regional Director Pakistan Council of Research in Water Resources (PCRWR) and Health Department of Balochistan.

• MA team has also conducted meetings with multiple NGOs/INGOs including Islamic Relief,
HANDs, WaterAid, PPAF, Balochistan Rural Support Programme, Rural Support Programme Network, HHRD, NHN and Chagai Ewan-e-Saqafat (local NGO).

• MA has conducted a meeting with Additional Divisional Commissioner of District Chagai,
Assistant Director Livestock Chagai to assess the damages.

• MA has completed the beneficiary identification and verification with the support of local IP to support 1000 families in District Chagai for the provision of dry-food distribution and fodder for animals.

• MA conducted a meeting with Deputy Director of OFDA Rapid Fund Team regarding Baluchistan drought response. It was also discussed key priority districts for RAPID RESPONSE upcoming call.
OFDA team are also planning a rapid visit to Baluchistan and Sindh- they requested MA to facilitate in Baluchistan for organizing meeting with PDMA, NGOs/INGOs

World: Education in Danger Monthly News Brief, January 2019

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Source: Insecurity Insight
Country: Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Brazil, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Colombia, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Greece, Guinea, Guyana, Indonesia, Libya, occupied Palestinian territory, Pakistan, Russian Federation, Senegal, Sudan, Syrian Arab Republic, Thailand, Tunisia, Turkey, World, Yemen

Africa

Burkina Faso

04 January 2019: In Petanaye town, Nord region, unidentified perpetrators assumed to be militants from the JNIM terrorist group set fire to a school, resulting in moderate damage to the building.
Source: ACLED

09 January 2019: In Kiembara department, Sourou province, threatening posters of unknown origin forced the closure schools, including the Kiembara County High School and the College of General Education – as a measure of precaution. Source: aOuaga

Cameroon

30 January 2019 (DOA): In Bamboutos department, West province,
Suspected Ambazonian fighters kidnapped the headmaster of the Bamenyam High School in what appears to be a continuous effort by the perpetrators to reduce school attendance in the region.
Source: Journal du Cameroun

Central African Republic

19 January 2019: In Bambari town, Ouaka prefecture, UPC militiamen killed an employee of the NGO ACTED and a teacher.
No further details specified. Source: ACLED1 Democratic Republic of Congo

27 January 2019: In Lubumbashi city, Haut-Katanga province, students of the University of Lubumbashi protested over electricity and gas shutoffs on their campus, resulting in a violent crackdown by police which left three students dead after police opened fire on them with live ammunition. Sources: Benin WebTV News and La Libre Afrique

Guinea

07 January 2018: In Conakry, teachers led by the Free Union of Teachers and Researchers of Guinea held a demonstration in the area of Bonfi as they waited for the release of a memorandum of understanding brokered by the Guinean Government and their representatives. Law enforcement officials used teargas against striking teachers to break up the protest.
Source: Guinee News

21 January 2019: In Mamou city, prefecture and region, students of the Cabral High School held a protest against the cancellation of classes, and subsequently disrupted classes at the Doukouré High School and other unnamed high schools. Police fired teargas to disperse them, causing minor injuries and unspecified material damage. Source: Africa Guinee

13 January 2019: In Khartoum, as protests continued, police fired tear gas into an unspecified school, injuring an unspecified number of students. Later in the week, three students were killed during the protests – however the date and location of this event is unknown. Source: ACLED

Pakistan: WHO EMRO Weekly Epidemiological Monitor: Volume 12, Issue 6 (10 February 2019)

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Source: World Health Organization
Country: Bangladesh, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Egypt, Oman, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Yemen

Current major event

Knowledge gaps: Multiple drug-resistant typhoid fever in Pakistan

Cases of multiple drug-resistant Salmonella typhoid (MDR S. Typhi) fever continue to report from Pakistan. Between November 2016 to February 2019, a total of 5 853 MDR typhoid fever cases were reported from different districts of Sindh province. Currently, there are a number of knowledge gaps which is hindering effective control of this out-break.

Editorial note

This multidrug resistance type of S. Typhi has been prevalent across South and Southeast Asia and parts of Africa as well. In Pakistan, the district of Hyderabad of Sindh province witnessed the emergence of MDR S. Typhi cases during November 2016. Currently, the outbreak has spread to a total of 19 districts in the province. The most affected district is Karachi which has reported 68% (3 994) of the total reported MDR cases till date (See table).

The national and provincial governments of Pakistan have been collaborating with multiple international partners to control this outbreak. In addition, a number of vaccination campaigns has also been conducted in hot spot areas of district Hyderabad and over 118,000 children aged 2 to 10 years have been vaccinated for S. Typhi with Typhoid Conjugated Vaccine (TCV) as well.

Despite the fact that the governments and the partners are putting their efforts to control this upsurge of cases, the number of reported MDR cases are increasing and also reported from areas other than initially affected. Currently a number of questions need to be answered urgently (Please see above) to better understand the extent and nature of this outbreak, as well as epidemiological and environmental risk factors associated with the transmission of S. Typhi fever cases. In situation like this where a number of knowledge gaps hinder effective control strategies for infectious diseases, there will be lot of uncoordinated actions from different agencies which will further complicate response to such health events. In such situations, as well, there will be added complexities when the academic communities would conduct research in an uncoordinated manner and publish their findings without understanding the public health value of such findings on control measures or without sharing these findings with the national health authorities that can effectively help in containing the spread.

While there is an urgent need to establish an oversight mechanism to better coordinate the research works for addressing knowledge gaps, it is also important to see that such research works are of public health value and effectively contribute to control measures that are evidence-informed and have the maximum impact on the understanding the “unknowns”.

India: Secretary-General Reiterates Strong Condemnation of Jammu and Kashmir Terrorist Attack, Urging India, Pakistan to Exercise Maximum Restraint

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Source: UN Secretary-General
Country: India, Pakistan

SG/SM/19466

The following statement was issued today by the Spokesman for UN Secretary-General António Guterres:

The Secretary-General has been following with great concern the situation in South Asia. He reiterates his strong condemnation of the terrorist attack against Indian security forces in Pulwama in Jammu and Kashmir on 14 February and subsequent violence.

It is essential that there be accountability under international law and the perpetrators of terrorist acts be brought swiftly to justice.

At the same time, the Secretary-General urgently appeals to the Governments of both India and Pakistan to exercise maximum restraint to ensure the situation does not further deteriorate.

It is the belief of the Secretary-General that all difficult challenges can be resolved peacefully and satisfactorily through meaningful mutual engagement.

For information media. Not an official record.

Pakistan: Karachi vulnerable to disasters as it lacks preparedness, says mayor

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Source: DAWN Group of Newspapers
Country: Pakistan

KARACHI: City Mayor Wasim Akhtar has said that Pakistan is one of the global hotspots in terms of risk of geological, hydro-meteorological and climate disasters and the country has suffered over $18 billion in damages and losses from natural disasters over the past decade.

“In the past few years, we have been hit by major catastrophes, including the earthquake in 2005, and floods in 2007, 2010 and 2011. Unfortunately, despite this spate of catastrophic natural disasters, no attention, or resources, are being given to [address] the issue,” he said.

The mayor expressed these views while speaking as the chief guest at the ‘First South Asia Conference on Earthquake Engineering’ held at the NED University of Engineering and Technology on Wednesday.

Dr Sarosh Lodhi, Vice Chancellor of NED University, Patchamuthu Illangovan, country director of the World Bank in Pakistan, faculty members, and students participated in the conference.

The mayor said that development agenda should have measures to deal with natural disasters and for implementing them it was important that the local government system in the country was strengthened.

‘Natural disasters cost Pakistan $18bn since 2005 earthquake’

He said: “South Asia Conference on Earthquake Engineering will serve as a platform to better understand the latest developments in earthquake engineering and disaster management by the industry players and stakeholders in the construction industry in the country”.

He said that hosting of this event was a clear recognition that policies for effective disaster prevention needed strong institutions to ensure their implementation. “The NED’s Department of Earthquake Engineering has provided great momentum to the efforts that were already under way to address Pakistan’s vulnerability to earthquakes,” he added.

Mr Akhtar said that Pakistan was ranked eighth on the list of countries facing natural disasters; however 95 per cent of constructions were not in accordance with the principles of earthquake engineering.

He recalled that in the aftermath of the 2005 earthquake, the government promulgated the National Disaster Preparedness Ordinance which resulted in the establishment of the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA). “However, a structure below the provincial level to manage funds and maintain the stocks of items required for emergencies is still missing in the country,” he said.

Karachi’s vulnerability

“With insufficient disaster management preparedness in the city, Karachi is in a very vulnerable position. Therefore, the importance of factoring in natural disasters in the development agenda, and the consultative process towards strengthening local governments’ capacity for DRR [disaster risk reduction] can only be achieved through the participation of multi-stakeholders such as civil society groups, academia professionals”, he said.

The mayor said the disaster risk reduction was about protecting human lives and disaster management gave confidence to people and made the communities stronger when a disaster struck.

He expressed the hope that all the participants and industry players present at the conference would take this opportunity to strengthen their networking and seek ways for future collaborations.

“It is important that the public and private sectors come together to work collaboratively and synergistically in improving our technical readiness in enhancing our departmental and organisational competitiveness,” he said.

The mayor also said that only 30.9pc area of Karachi was under the municipal control of the KMC, while the rest was under the administrative control of other organisations.

Besides, he said that building control, water and sewerage, transport, solid waste management, civil defence, Karachi Development Authority, health and education were not under the city’s municipal administration.

Pakistan: Balochistan people tell of their fight to survive drought

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Source: Islamic Relief
Country: Pakistan

One by one, the wells dried up

Khaer Baksh was a shepherd before the drought made conditions unbearable in his village, Muhammad Hasan Loos, in Chagai district.

“For the last year, there has been no rain in our area, resulting in loss of land and cattle,” said Khaer Baksh, 42, who has six children.

“Water was always scarce in our area but we used to dig new wells and get sufficient water. For the last few years, even after digging wells 100 feet deep, we couldn’t find any water.

“I used to go to other areas to get water for my family. Slowly, one well after the other started drying up. I can’t see my children suffer, so I decided to move. All the families in our area moved to Dalbandin.

“It’s difficult to find a job here. I am cutting wood in a shop. No matter how hard and long I work, I can’t cut more than 100kg of wood each day. I earn PKR 130-200 (1.5-2 USD) every day. The weather is very cold here and my children are getting sick. I want a better future for my children.”

Praying for rain

Mubarak Ali, 48, is desperate to remain at home in Naik Muhammad village – but the fight to survive just gets harder every day.

“I love my area as I belong here and I don’t want to migrate,” said the father-of-eight, who before the drought used to earn a decent living as a farmer.

“I have five acres of land on which I used to grow wheat, cucumber, okra and other vegetables. People from our area have won awards on record breaking levels of production of these vegetables. Those were good days.

“Islamic Relief gave us off-season farming tunnels, but they have been destroyed in the drought. Our wells have dried up. All our agricultural land is barren now. The cattle have died and those that remain will not survive this winter.

“There is no water in our area, not even for drinking. My children and I fetch water from nearby villages. Most of the people from my village have moved to Dalbandin city but it’s a hard decision for me to leave my land.

“With every passing day, it is becoming difficult for us to survive. There are no other livelihood opportunities for us. The weather is cold and we are left with few resources now. We pray to Allah for rain. We need immediate help.”

Hoping the good days return

Like Mubarak, grandmother Gull Khatoon cannot bear to leave her home in Malik Ismail village, with all its happy memories.

“Our lives were passing joyfully,” said the 65-year old, who, having raised four sons and three daughters, now has 25 grandchildren. “We used to live together as a family. We had more than 400 goats, I used to make wool woven items it and sell to local market.

“Most of our goats have died due to unavailability of fodder – now just 20 are remaining. We used to grow different vegetables but our land is barren now. Wells have dried up, there is no water for drinking. My son brings water from other villages.

“All of [my children] but one have migrated to different cities after the drought destroyed everything. All the families from our village have gone, but I can never leave my house. I have never been in a vehicle in my life, and I will stay here.

“My son still goes to the fields with the hope that it might rain and good days may return. We need water and livelihood opportunities so my son can earn something.”

The government has recently declared an emergency situation, with about 1.9 million people thought to be suffering as a result of the drought in Balochistan, Pakistan. Islamic Relief, which has been working in the region for nearly a decade, has launched an urgent intervention to repair water facilities and restore livelihoods for those affected.


Pakistan: Flash Floods, Heavy Rains Kill 26 In Pakistan

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Source: Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty
Country: Pakistan

Flash floods and heavy winter rains have killed at least 26 people in Pakistan's southwest and central regions, officials said on February 21.

The National Disaster Management Authority said 14 people were killed and 200 families were affected by flash floods that submerged villages near the southwestern town of Lasbella.

In central Pakistan, nine people were killed in three separate incidents of roofs collapsing during heavy rains, four of them in the city of Multan.

Emergency teams are working to rescue people from flooded parts of Lasbella in Baluchistan Province, said Imran Zarqoon, a spokesman for the provincial disaster authority.

Heavy seasonal rains often cause landslides and flash floods in Pakistan.

Based on reporting by AP and Dawn.com

Afghanistan: Education is an essential building block for peace in Afghanistan

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Source: Education Cannot Wait (ECW)
Country: Afghanistan, Iran (Islamic Republic of), Pakistan

Q&A WITH EDUCATION CANNOT WAIT DIRECTOR YASMINE SHERIF ON AFGHANISTAN PROGRAMME LAUNCH

Why is education important for Afghanistan?

While Afghanistan is making progress in improving access to education, approximately 3.7 million children remain out of school. 2017 saw nearly half a million newly displaced people in Afghanistan, as well as an influx of over 600,000 Afghans returning from Iran and Pakistan. Droughts connected with climate change and other conflicts are pushing more people to migrate and undermining efforts to get more children in school.

More than half of returnee girls and boys are currently out of school due to the lack of capacity of schools to enroll additional children, lack of required documentation to facilitate enrollment, cost factors, and language, gender and cultural barriers.

Education is an essential building block in Afghanistan’s progress toward peace, security and sustainable economic development. Education brings empowerment and enlightenment. We can’t afford to lose another generation to war, conflict and displacement.

Tell us about the new programme

The three-year programme will target the most vulnerable children in Afghanistan, with a particular focus on girls, internally displaced children, and returnee refugee communities. Education Cannot Wait and the Government of Sweden have provided the seed funding to get this programme started, and get Afghanistan’s children back in school, with US$12 million in funding from Education Cannot Wait and a generous US$10 million grant from the government of Sweden.

It will be implemented and managed through a broad coalition of international organizations, national and international NGOs, and representatives from the national government and civil society. Key partners include the Afghan Ministry of Education, IOM, OCHA, OHCHR, UNAMA, UNESCO, UNFPA, UNICEF, UNOPS, UNHCR, WFP, WHO, the World Bank and Education Cannot Wait, alongside National and International NGOs such as Save The Children, Norwegian Refugee Council and International Rescue Committee.

The programme builds on the progress made through Education Cannot Wait’s US$3.4 million first emergency response, which focused on access to basic education for the most vulnerable children – returnees, internally displaced children, girls, children in isolated rural areas – through community-based education, providing teaching and learning materials, and teacher training and recruitment.

Up to US$35 million will be required annually from international donors and national entities to cover the full cost of the multi-year programme. We are calling on the global community to step up and be counted. Funding education in Afghanistan isn’t just the right thing to do for our global humanity, it will also power our work to end poverty and hunger by 2030, and ensure universal access to education for every girl and boy in Afghanistan. Our work to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals, especially goal 4, which calls for equitable access to education for every girl and boy on the planet by 2030, cannot be compromised. Education cannot wait for an entire generation of Afghan children that risk being left behind.

What impacts are anticipated on the ground from this programme?

In a country where a lack of female teachers and cultural biases have severely limited educational opportunities for girls, the investment will recruit, train and provide financial support for 14,000 teachers, over 60 per cent of whom will be women. It will also set up 2,500 gender-sensitive water and sanitation facilities, and build an awareness campaign to reach over 150,000 people.

Through this joint work, the programme looks to improve numeracy, literacy and educational resilience for children by 10 per cent, increase school attendance by 30 percent to get 460,000 girls and boys back in school, and nearly triple the number of existing primary and pre-primary learning spaces from 5760 (2017) to 16,500. The investment will also provide learning materials, such as textbooks and notebooks, to 500,000 children, including 325,000 girls.

Distance and danger hinder access to schools in Afghanistan, especially for girls. The investment will provide transport for 40,000 children to educational facilities, including 26,000 girls.

With so many returnee and displaced children, special emphasis will be paid to helping integrate children into the education system. To get children back on track, over a quarter million displaced girls and boys will be supported in obtaining documentation and school certification, and catch-up classes in Dari and Pashto languages will be extended to some 276,000 children.

How will this programme work to close the gender gap?

In Afghanistan, education is largely delivered along gender lines, with very few mixed-gender schools. And a lack of girls-only schools and female teachers provides a significant barrier to education for the 2.2 million girls that are still left behind. That’s more than the total population of Qatar and Luxembourg combined.

The Ministry of Education has just recently launched its Girls’ Education Policy specifically to remove barriers to education for all Afghan girls and women, to close the gender gap in the school enrollment of girls and boys, and to bring out-of-school girls into the education system.

In alignment with this policy, the programme will focus on a wide spectrum of actions, such as: creating safe school environments, including supporting community transport for girls to travel safely to school; supporting displaced girls and boys to obtain documentation and schooling certification; implementing community-based education to reach children, especially girls, in rural and isolated areas; developing and rolling-out distance learning packages for hard-to-reach locations and communities, such as radio education programmes, self-learning materials; and providing training to 20,000 teachers, especially female teachers.

What has Education Cannot Wait achieved so far in Afghanistan?

This new multi-year investment will scale-up and accelerate Education Cannot Wait’s initial US$3.4 million 12-month investment in Afghanistan announced in June 2017. This rapid response programme aimed to provide immediate relief to children in need of educational support. It focused on access to basic education for the most vulnerable children – Afghan returnees, internally displaced children, host community children, girls, children in rural and isolated areas – through community-based education, providing teaching and learning materials, and teacher training and recruitment.

The programme successfully reached 35,000 children, including 59 per cent girls, providing them with access to formal and non-formal education, including community-based education. Through this programme, Education Cannot Wait partnered with a local NGO, Wadan, to reach children in the most head to reach areas. For example, through this local partner, we were able to recruit and train a female biology teacher in a community of displaced people in Radat. With a new biology teacher, some 40 girls have returned to class. We were also able to provide hope and a sense of normalcy to children who fled violence in the Nangarhar’s Achin District. We provided these uprooted children with sense of normalcy and restored hope thanks to the community school we set up in displaced people settlements.

Education Cannot Wait is determined to mainstream and accelerate these successes to reach more of Afghanistan’s vulnerable girls and boys and support the government in providing long-term solution to integrate them into the education system.

Pakistan: Emergency declared in two districts of Balochistan after heavy rainfall

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Source: Frontier Post
Country: Pakistan

QUETTA: The government on Thursday has declared emergency in Makran and Lasbela districts of Balochistan after heavy rainfall and flooding in rivers and nullahs.

While talking to media, Deputy Commissioner Lasbela confirmed that two dead bodies have been found in Hub while four others swept away by the floodwater are still missing in the district.

According to media reports, the floodwater entered in various populated areas after flooding in seasonal rivers and drains in Bela and Uthal districts. The emergency workers have shifted around 70 people to safe places after flooding.

The downpour continued in Awaran district of Balochistan and the relief workers were facing difficulties to access the area after disruption of the communication links, Director General Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA), Balochistan said.

The heavy rainfall has also damaged Mallar Band in Awaran, the deputy commissioner of the district said.

Pakistan: PDMA Sindh: Progress Report of Ration Bags Distributed among Pregnant and Lactating Women by 20.02.2019

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Source: Government of Pakistan
Country: Pakistan

Pakistan: Livelihood project for refugees completed

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Source: DAWN Group of Newspapers
Country: Afghanistan, Pakistan

SWABI: The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees’ representative for Pakistan, Ruven Menikdiwela, said on Thursday that the UN agency had provided consistent assistance to the Afghan refugees during their stay in Pakistan.

She was speaking at a ceremony of an asset/certificates distribution ceremony held at Barakai Camp under the Poverty Graduation Pilot Project for Afghan Refugees and their Hosting Families.

Qazi Azmat Isa, CEO of Pakistan Poverty Alleviation Fund and Dinesh Shrestha, head of UNHCR sub-office, Peshawar, were also present on the occasion.

“The project that we are implementing and the results we are seeing address this situation. We value our partnership with Pakistan Poverty Alleviation Fund, which has been our partner in implementing this project,” said Ms Menikdiwela.

The ceremony marked the completion of pilot project at Swabi, under which 900 households, including 273 women recipients, had been provided with productive assets, while 100 households were provided with technical and vocational training from certified institutions.

The recipients for the assets were selected by community members following formation of community organisations which determined the deserving households for receiving the assets based on their poverty score.

The pilot project was funded by UNHCR and implemented by PPAF through CERD.

The initiative aims at making an effort to graduate the Afghan refugee population and their host families up the poverty scales and simultaneously providing them with sustainable livelihoods.

During the asset distribution ceremony, Azmat Isa lauded efforts of the local community which had been hosting Afghan refugees for the past four decades. The important aspect of this project is that the community itself was engaged in the process of identifying asset recipients based on their poverty scorecard.

Published in Dawn, February 22nd, 2019

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