Countrywide Conflict Displacement
2016: The total number of individuals displaced by conflict in 2016 increased to 661,287 as joint assessment teams finalise assessments of those displaced last year. This remains the highest number on record, and a 41 per cent increase on the 470,000 displaced in 2015.
2017: 88,481 individuals have been verified as displaced, with 29 provinces recording some level of forced displacement.
Northern/North Eastern: The security situation across the region has remained volatile following the capture of Qala-e-Zal district in Kunduz province and the brief occupation by NSAGs of Ghormach DAC in Faryab province. Assessments of a reported 13,160 individuals displaced from Qala-e-Zal and 3,927 individuals from Zebak are ongoing. Elsewhere, 8,141 conflict affected individuals across Baghlan, Kunduz, Faryab, Takhar and Badakhsan provinces have been identified as in need of assistance. At the time of writing, fighting along the KunduzKhanabad highway, now closed, has also displaced an estimated 17,500 individuals; assessments will be conducted once clashes have subsided. In Balkh province, 784 flood-affected individuals have been verified in need of assistance. Since January this year, 34,881 individuals have been displaced in the region, just under 40 per cent of the total population displaced country-wide.
Southern: Clashes continued during the past week in Hilmand, Uruzgan and Kandahar provinces. In Kandahar, 1,204 individuals displaced from Nesh district have been verified as in need of assistance, while in Tirinkot 239 individuals affected by the same conflict are awaiting assessment. Exchange of fire between Pakistani and Afghan military at the Chaman border post in Spin Boldak has reportedly displaced 700 individuals to nearby villages leading to restricted movement on both sides of the border and the suspension of UNHCR and IOM returnee operations. Teams in Kandahar are preparing to undertake assessments. So far in 2017, 29,526 individuals have been displaced in the region, approximately 33 percent of the total displaced countrywide.
Western: Clashes continued in Badghis and Ghor provinces reportedly displacing 1,006 individuals to Qala-e-Naw and 59 individuals to Chaghcharan provincial capitals. Assessments are planned in both provinces. Elsewhere in Ghor, assessments of 1,121 individuals previously displaced in Qala-e-Naw are ongoing.
Eastern: Heavy clashes between rival NSAGs in Chaparhar district, Nangarhar province resulted in civilian displacements; so far, 406 have been identified for assistance. In Nuristan, Kunar and Nangarhar 2,408 individuals were reportedly displaced following military operations and related insecurity. To date, 10,539 individuals have been verified as displaced across the region, approximately 12 percent of the countrywide total.
Central: The security situation has stabilised compared to last week, although 840 individuals were reportedly displaced from Uruzgan and Andar, Giro and Gelan districts in Ghazni province to Ghazni city centre. Assessments are ongoing.
Refugees and Returnees
A total of 5,781 undocumented Afghans spontaneously returned or were deported from Pakistan through Torkham and Spin Boldak border crossings from 30 April - 6 May, an increase of 2 per cent from the previous week, and bringing the year total to 51,001. Since 1 January, 120,133 undocumented Afghans have also returned from Iran bringing the total returnee population in 2017 to 171,134.
UNHCR’s repatriation programme resumed on 3 April. As of 6 May, 15,037 registered Afghans have returned to Afghanistan from Pakistan.
Ongoing Response Activities * (please see page 2)
North/North Eastern: In Kunduz and Baghlan, NRC distributed cash to 539 conflict-induced IDPs. In Pul-e-Khumri, WFP, IOM and ACTED distributed food, NFIs and tents to 770 flood affected individuals while ANDMA, UNICEF and FOCUS provided food, NFIs and tents to 2,625 flood affected individuals. DRC and ACTED distributed cash to 4,186 conflict IDPs in Baghlan Jadid and Dand-e-Ghuri in Baghlan province.
Southern: In Tirinkot, Uruzgan, WFP completed food distributions to 8,232 conflict IDPs. In Kandahar city, WFP and DACAAR distributed food and emergency latrine to 672 conflict-induced IDPs from Nesh district.
Eastern: IRC and SCI distributed cash to 826 conflict IDPs in Behsud, Jalalabad and Surkhrod, Nangarhar province. DRA/IRC, WFP, IOM, JEN, DRA/SCI, SVA, NCRO, UNFPA, WHO and UNICEF provided cash, food, NFIs, hygiene kits and health services including hygiene promotion and education, supplementary nutrition and immunisation in Nangahar, Kunar and Laghman provinces to undocumented returnees.
Central: In Khost and Paktika, WFP provided food assistance to 40,600 Pakistani refugees. In Logar, IRC and PIN provided cash and hygiene kits to 105 conflict IDPs.
Access Constraints and Security Incidents
Western: On 5 May in Shahrak, Ghor province NSAGs ambushed a joint assessment team enroute to the provincial capital of Chaghcharan wounding two and abducting eight others.
The abductees were released following intervention from the community elders.
Southern: Approximately 18.5MT of specialised foods intended for WFP nutrition programmes in Gizab, Uruzgan province was seized by NSAGs while being delivered to health facilities.
Currently, interlocutors are working to release the food.