Countrywide Conflict Displacement
Since the beginning of the year, a total of 6,966 displaced people have been recorded in OCHA’s Displacement Tracking System (DTS), all of them displaced in 2018. The highest number of displaced people this year was reported from the North-Eastern Region.
Central Region: In Ghazni, nearly 3,400 people arrived in Ghazni centre from several districts, according to initial reports, due to ongoing military operations, continued intimidation and forced taxation by members of NSAGs. In Logar, more than 1,000 people were reportedly displaced to two districts within the Province from Charkh and Barakibarak districts, due to military operations.
Northern/North Eastern Region: A military operation in Jorm district, Badakhshan Province, displaced more than 100 people within the district, according to information from the ground.
Eastern Region: No significant displacements have been reported from the Eastern Region in the past week.
Southern/South Eastern Region: No significant new displacements have been reported from the two regions.
Western: The situation in the Western Region has been calm in the past week with no reports of significant displacements.
Returns to Afghanistan
On 31 January, the Pakistani Federal Cabinet decided to grant a 60-day extension of the Proof of Registration (PoR) cards of 1.4 million Afghan refugees living in Pakistan, just as the cards expired. This decision brings important reprieve to all refugee families, notably as UNHCR’s voluntary repatriation programme is paused during winter. If no new extension is granted, pressure could mount again on all 2.4 million Afghan citizens living in Pakistan to return to their home country.
From 28 January to 3 February, a total of 11,183 Afghans returned to Afghanistan, according to IOM. A total of 520 people returned spontaneously from Pakistan and 70 were deported. Some 2,317 people returned spontaneously from Iran, from where an additional 8,276 people were deported.
Natural Disaster
An earthquake with 6.1 magnitude on the Richter scale shook Afghanistan on 30 January with its epicentre south of Fayzabad, Badakhshan. It was felt by more than 20 million people, according to iMMAP, but did not cause any major damage according to ANDMA in the affected provinces.
Ongoing Response Activities (please also see page 2)
During the past week, more than 38,000 displaced people, returnees, refugees and host families received some form of humanitarian aid, including winterisation assistance.
CR: UNHCR and WFP provided NFIs and food to nearly 1,300 displaced people from Tagab and Alasay districts of Kapisa province in the provincial capital Mahmud-e-Raqi. In Khost Province, WFP distributed food packages to 14,000 Pakistani refugees. In Ghazni, DRC-DDG distributed cash for food to 400 people displaced by conflict.
NR/NER: In Mazar-e-Sharif, Balkh Province, nearly 200 IDPs from Faryab and Sar-e-Pul provinces received cash from NRC, emergency household items and hygiene kits from CARE and food from WFP. In Maymana, Faryab Province, more than 1,800 displaced people received cash from ACTED, WFP and UNCHR will provide them with food and NFIs shortly. In Kunduz Cty, a business man provided food and blankets to 300 displaced people from Chardarah district, Kunduz Province.
ER: PU-AMI distributed cash to more than 950 IDPs in Kunar Province and conducted hygiene promotion. WFP distributed food to 420 IDPs in Kunar and Mehtarlam provinces and NCRO distributed cash for food to 500 IDPs in Nangarhar and Kunar provinces and hygiene kits for 560 displaced people from Khogyani district, Nangarhar. APA distributed NFIs to 812 IDPs in Chaparhar and Khogyani, Nangarhar. DACAAR built 37 emergency latrines in displacement settlements in Khogyani and distributed hygiene kits to 200 families. In Surkhrod, Nangarhar, DACAAR installed three hand-pumps and distributed hygiene kits to nearly 1,000 returnees.
ZOA/SHPOUL distributed more than 450 water kits to displaced families in four districts of Nangarhar. DRC-DDG assisted 196 people with multipurpose cash in Mehtarlam, Laghman. CWSA distributed cash for food nearly 1,500 returnees from Pakistan in Nangarhar Province and APA distributed NFIs to 588 returnees. Shanti Volunteer Association (SVA) provided winter and kitchen kits to more than 2,600 returnees in the same province. Health Cluster partners provided consultations to more than 3,800 returnees and IDPs and vaccinated 598 children. More than 1,200 people received psychosocial counselling and 88 cases of gender-based violence received support at family protection centres.
SR: In Khakrez and Maywand districts of Kandahar, the NGO Human Resource Development Agency (HRDA) completed the response to more than 2,000 displaced people by providing cash assistance and emergency household items.
WR: During the reporting period, a total of 210 displaced people in Hirat Province received cash assistance from DRC-DDG and NRC, hygiene kits from IRC and WASH kits from DACAAR. In Farah, more than 670 displaced people received cash from DRCDDG, emergency household items from UNHCR and DACAAR conducted hygiene promotion and water chlorination. In response to the long standing eviction threats to three informal settlements in Hirat Province, authorities with the support of humanitarian partners developed a relocation plan that will be discussed by the Durable Solution Committee chaired by the Provincial Governor.