Countrywide Conflict Displacement
The total number of individuals displaced by conflict in 2016 has risen again slightly from last week to 653,294 as joint teams finalise assessments of those displaced last year.
In 2017 so far, 26,089 individuals have been verified as displaced, with 21 provinces recording some level of forced displacement. The provinces of highest displacement so far are Nangarhar, Kandahar, Faryab, Hilmand and Zabul.
Northern/North Eastern: Military clashes continue to incrementally rise each week with the improving weather conditions. In particular, fighting in Kunduz and Baghlan is reported to have displaced up to 3,500 unverified individuals in the past week, with assessments ongoing. Elsewhere, 196 IDPs were verified in Badakhshan, and 238 verified in Takhar.
Eastern: Cross-border shelling continued in Kunar, with 66 mortar rounds reported between 6-8 March, with some impacting residential areas. Government clearance operations also concluded in Nangarhar. 3,000 unverified IDPs were reported from both provinces, with assessments ongoing. The temporary re-opening of Torkham border also saw up to 20,000 Afghans (mostly temporary travellers) returning from Pakistan, although numbers are difficult to confirm.
Central: Ongoing clashes in Kapisa and Parwan continue to cause displacement, with 511 IDPs verified by assessments in Kapisa and 244 in Parwan. In Daykundi, heavy snowfall has affected 308 individuals with some homes destroyed, in addition to a small caseload in Bamyan.
Western: The overall security situation remains volatile, with armed clashes concentrated largely in Farah province and Shindand district in Hirat. Intensified fighting in Balabaluk district, Farah, has reportedly resulted in the displacement of up to 5,000 unverified individuals, mostly to neighboring villages. Assessments are ongoing. Smaller caseloads of IDPs were reported from various districts in Badghis and Ghor.
Southern: Conflict continues to intensify across the region, signaling a potentially severe fighting season ahead.
Displacement remains relatively low, but may dramatically increase if fighting expands. Recent assessments verified 672 IDPs in Hilmand, 287 in Zabul, 4,249 in Uruzgan, and 1,365 in Kandahar. In Nimroz, 1,813 individuals have been verified displaced from recent heavy flooding, with another 3,493 unverified reported, who are currently being assessed.
Refugees and Returnees
The Torkham and Spin Boldak borders remained closed, with the exception of a two-day reopening for travelers with documents on 7 and 8 March. During that time, IOM reported that 264 undocumented Afghans returned or were deported from Pakistan. The total number of undocumented returnees for 2017 is now 9,905.
UNHCR’s repatriation program is scheduled to resume on 1 April 2017 following the winter pause.