Countrywide Conflict Displacement
Since the beginning of the year, a total of 18,500 displaced people have been recorded in OCHA’s Displacement Tracking System (DTS). This is an average of 385 displaced people per day, roughly one third of the more than 1,200 people displaced on average every day in the past year.
Central Region: No significant displacements have been reported from the two regions in the past week. Regarding the situation of some 2,500 Kuchi families in Khost reportedly stranded in Khost in need of humanitarian assistance, authorities stressed that the border has been closed to the nomadic herders for the last three years and that many Kuchi families have either settled in the province or only move within Afghanistan, not crossing into Pakistan. Only 102 Kuchi families from Shamal district, Khost, recently displaced by military operations have been identified for humanitarian assistance to be led by ANDMA.
Northern/North Eastern Region: No significant displacements have been reported from the two regions in the past week.
Eastern Region: Approximately 4,200 people have been displaced in Alingar District within the district and to Mehtarlam City, according to authorities. Their displacement was caused by a military operation targeting NSAGs and some families reportedly sheltered in the open, fearing airstrikes. Some 1,600 people reportedly were displaced from Surkhrod, Jalalabad, Behsud and Rodat district to several districts within Nangarhar Province, notably due to intimidation by members of NSAGs.
Southern/South Eastern Region: No significant new displacements have been reported from the two regions.
Western: Nearly 600 people were reportedly displaced to Chaghcharan, Ghor Province, from Pasaband, Charsadra, Taywarah, Tolak, Shahrak and DoLayna districts. More than 650 people were displaced to Qala-e-Naw City, Badghis, from Balamurghab, Muqur, Abkamari, Qadis, Jawand.
Returns to Afghanistan
From 18 to 24 February, 356 people returned spontaneously from Pakistan to Afghanistan and 8 were deported, according to IOM. In the same week, 4,884 people returned from Iran and 10,037 were deported. In total, 91,705 Afghans have arrived in Afghanistan since the beginning of the year.
Ongoing Response Activities (please also see page 2)
During the past week, more than 50,000 displaced people, returnees, refugees and host families received some form of humanitarian assistance.
CR: In Gardez, Paktya, ANDMA distributed food and NFIs from UNICEF to more than 1,000 people displaced by heavy rains. In Gulan camp and five districts of Khost, WFP distributed food to 19,600 refugees from Pakistan.
NR/NER: More than 130 people affected by rains in Nahr-e-Shahi district, Balkh, were provided with food from ANDMA, cash assistance from Care, NFIs from IOM and tents and hygiene kits from NRC. WFP provided food to 14,000 people in Maymana City, Faryab, as part of seasonal assistance. In Baghlan, nearly 1,200 displaced people received food for one month from WFP, cash from ACTED, NFIs from UNHCR and DACAAR will add hygiene kits. In Kunduz City, Kunduz, more than 1,280 displaced people from Chardarah received cash from ACTED, food from WFP, NFIs from UNCHR and SCI and WASH packages from DACAAR. In Sar-e-Pul City, Sar-e-Pul, more than 570 IDPs were provided with cash from NRC, NFIs from UNHCR and food from WFP.
ER: NCRO distributed cash for food and hygiene kits to 580 IDPs Khaskunar District, Kunar. Also in Kunar, 460 IDPs received cash and hygiene promotion from PU-AMI in Chawkay District, WFP distributed food rations to 730 displaced people in three districts and UNHCR distributed NFIs to nearly 1,200 IDPs in four districts. Partners of the Health Cluster provided consultations to nearly 4,000 returnees and IDPs and vaccinated more than 400 children. More than 1,000 people attended psychosocial counselling sessions by UNFPA/AADA in Kunar, Laghman and Nangarhar provinces. In two schools in Mehtarlam, Laghman, the NGO International Medical Corps (IMC) trained 30 young women and as many young men of emergency committees in basic Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR).
SR: In Tirinkot, Uruzgan, WFP distributed food to 3,200 displaced people, UNHCR distributed emergency shelter and UNICEF winter clothing, hygiene and WASH kits. Some 2,400 of the IDPs also received cash assistance from NRC. In Ziheri, Kandahar, HRDA provided emergency household items to 1,000 displaced people.
WR: In Farah City, Farah, DRC-DDG provided cash and UNICEF NFIs to 1,000 displaced people. DACAAR will provide WASH package to the families once flights to Farah are resumed following recent cancellations due to weather conditions. In Qala-e-Naw, nearly 400 displaced people received food from WFP and 130 of them received cash assistance from IRC and winter kits from UNICEF. As an exceptional measure, a humanitarian NGO paid the debt of a family living in an informal settlement in Hirat City to ensure that a six-year old girl would not be forced into marriage.
Gaps
On 21 February, one person was reportedly killed touching unexploded ordnance in Shegal Wa Sheltan District, Kunar, two bystanders were injured. Similar incidents have been reported in the past months from the Eastern Region where military operations have been frequent. These cases underline the importance of mine clearance following military operations and mine risk education and awareness programs.
Access
Five trucks carrying donated wheat were diverted by members of an NSAG in Shahrak district, Ghor. The trucks and their cargo were able to continue their way following the intervention of local community elders.