Countrywide Conflict Displacement
2017: As of 14 May, 91,022 individuals have been displaced in Afghanistan so far in 2017 with 29 provinces recording some level of forced displacement. This represents a 40 percent decrease compared to those displaced during the same period in 2016 (152,841).
Northern/North Eastern: Following the fall of Qala-e-Zal district on 6 May and ongoing clashes between NSAG and government forces along the Kunduz-Khanabad highway, 39,685 individuals have submitted petitions to DoRR. To date, 2,058 have been verified in need of humanitarian assistance; assessments for the remaining caseload are ongoing. In Baghlan, 294 individuals have been verified as IDPs following clashes between ANSF and NSAGs in Pul-e-Khumri. In 2017, 37,280 individuals have been displaced in the region, comprising 41 percent of the country total.
Southern: Clashes intensified across the region in the past week with 700 individuals reportedly displaced within Khas Uruzgan district, Uruzgan province and an unconfirmed number in Nad-eAli district, Hilmand province due to limited access. In Kandahar, border skirmishes between Afghan and Pakistani forces in Spin Boldak district reportedly displaced 1,050 individuals; assessments are ongoing. So far in 2017, 29,512 individuals have been displaced in the South and South Eastern region, approximately 32 percent of the total displaced countrywide.
Western: Regular armed clashes continued in Badghis and Ghor provinces and a notable increase in incidents in Hirat, although no significant humanitarian impact has as yet been reported. In Hirat and Badghis provinces, a total of 617 individuals have been verified in need of assistance. So far in 2017, 8,114 individuals have been displaced due to conflict in the Western region, 9 per cent of the total displaced this year.
Eastern: Intra-NSAG clashes continued in Nangarhar province reportedly displacing 4,200 individuals from Chaparhar to Khogyani, Surkhrod, Jalalabad City and Pachieragam districts.
As of 12 May 1,000 individuals have been verified in need of humanitarian assistance. In neighboring Laghman province, 1,085 individuals have been displaced to Mehtarlam/Badpakh and Khogyani districts following heightened insecurity, while in Kot an estimated 2,100 individuals displaced by ANSF International military operations have returned home. The Eastern region has now recorded the highest level of security incidents so far in 2017 and has 10,618 verified IDPs; around 12 per cent of those displaced overall countrywide.
Central: In Kapisa, armed clashes between government forces and NSAGs reportedly displaced 30 individuals to Hisa-e-Awal-eKohestan,Hisa-e-Duwum-e-Kohestan, Mahmud-e-Raqi districts.
Elsewhere, 700 individuals were verified as displaced across Achin, Baghlan-e-Jadid, Kunduz City and Ghazni Centre.
Refugees and Returnees
A total of 4,410 undocumented Afghans spontaneously returned or were deported from Pakistan through Torkham border crossing from 7-13 May, a decrease of 24 per cent from the previous week, ahead of an expected decline during Ramadan, and bringing the year total to 55,421. Following border skirmishes between Afghan and Pakistani security forces on 5 May, the Spin Boldak/Chaman border crossing was closed; negotiations are ongoing between government representatives from both sides to reopen the border.
Since 1 January, 127,935 undocumented Afghans have also returned from Iran bringing the total returnee population in 2017 to 183,356. As of 13 May, 18,857 registered Afghans have returned to Afghanistan from Pakistan, Iran and other countries since the UNHCR Repatriation programme resumed in early April. Some 98 percent of all registered refugees returning to Afghanistan in 2017 are coming from Pakistan.