Bruxelles, le 14 November 2001

Transcription

1 Bruxelles, le 14 November 2001 Between 1991 and the end of 2001, the European Commission has committed some in aid to Afghan populations in need - implemented through UN agencies, the Red Cross Movement and NGOs (European with help of local Afghans). It was the single largest donor until last year when USA increased substantially its food aid. For the year 2001, the Commission intends to commit almost in response to the Afghan crisis. Of this amount, more than has already been or is being allocated, of which has been decided since 11 September in direct response to the worsening situation. The remaining amount will be committed in the coming days and weeks. The Commission intervenes through three main financial tools: At this point, ECHO s total contribution for 2001 (allocated + announced) stands at of which has been committed so far this year. The breakdown is as follows (see also chart in annex):, the Commission/ECHO had taken four funding decisions totalling supporting the most vulnerable people. This involved a two pronged approach: - Assistance to displaced people (medico-nutritional projects, shelter construction and water and sanitation in the camps); - Food-related assistance to resident populations in rural areas (Emergency food distributions and other food security-related projects to stop the massive exodus of people fleeing the drought to the towns). Most of these projects were ongoing on 11 September., a further has been allocated. Following the tragic events in the USA, and their consequences on Afghanistan, the Commission has reacted promptly, taking three successive funding decisions: - on 28 September (to fund the pre-positioning of relief stocks by UNHCR, WFP and ICRC in countries around Afghanistan in order to cope with a possible massive influx of Afghan refugees) - on 9 October (for medical programmes by the ICRC in response to deteriorating health conditions - war-wounded and result of massive displaced people)

2 - on 15/16 November for food distribution, medico-nutritional assistance, medical kits, winter needs items and other essential non-food items, support for the UNHCR operation in Pakistan, and UN co-ordination. This aid focuses on resident populations in drought-affected areas and on IDPs and is being channelled through UN agencies and 13 of ECHO s NGO partners. It will enable ECHO s implementing partners to distribute the food commodities provided by WFP as well as complementing WFP deliveries with other food items in order to diversify the food basket. Priority is given to delivery of winter relief items and other non-food items as well as medico-nutritional assistance and food distribution. The decision also means ECHO will contribute to enhanced co-ordination among all humanitarian actors by funding OCHA. An element also covers preparedness plans for potential influx of refugees in neighbouring countries through UNHCR and various NGOs. The last two of these decisions involve funds taken from the Following a Commission request, the budgetary authority reinforced funding capacity (budgetary line B-210) to be able to respond adequately to the expected escalation of the humanitarian crisis. On 15 October, an extra million was approved (The having already been pre-engaged). is available for further funding decisions this year. The financing decisions are aimed at providing humanitarian assistance for the victims wherever they are located, through experienced partners with a solid logistic network already located in the region. Prioritisation of activities with immediate impact before the winter season. Contractual flexibility is being granted to humanitarian organisations for a swift operational adjustment according to needs and access opportunities. : Since the beginning of the crisis, ECHO s strategy is being adjusted as closely as possible to the evolving situation, taking into account the constraints of access and security for local and expatriate staff. Depending on the evolution of the situation and if need be, the Commission does not exclude the possibility to request further funding from the budget authority, to be drawn from Community Budget's emergency reserve.. Commission is committing this year to programmes for IDPs and refugees in Afghanistan, Pakistan and Iran. This budget line will be used for a wide range of activities from health to integrated rural programmes wherever access and security allow for a rapid start-up of such activities. 2

3 This year, the Commission was already committed to supplying approx (30,000 tonnes) of food aid to Afghanistan through the WFP. It is mobilising a further for WFP in response to current crisis. Allocations to NGOs for food aid (pre and post-2001) amount to some for a total sum of. Information collected by the Commission from official sources shows that the fifteen EU Member States have pledged before and after 11 September over of aid for the Afghan people - of which almost has already been allocated. The EU as whole (Commission + Member States) has thus contributed at least this year for victims of the Afghan crisis. The overall response of the international community as it stands now, amounts to well over. It fully covers the main emergency aid fund appeals launched by the international organisations (United Nations, ICRC) if pledges by all are confirmed. Thus, the first concern of raising sufficient funding in response to the unfolding humanitarian crisis is being addressed. However there other humanitarian concerns still to be addressed. Afghan refugees massing at the borders to reach camps outside Afghanistan still face great difficulties. Pakistan and Iran are currently unwilling to throw open their borders as it may create a pull-factor attracting more refugees. In the event of mass movements prompted by military action, they do appear ready to allow UNHCR and ICRC to provide refugees near their borders with immediate temporary protection and assistance through cross-border operations. However, there is now growing evidence that the borders are unlikely to be opened to large numbers of refugees, both countries arguing that they already have a huge old case load and cannot cope with the economic burden of further arrivals The insecurity factor is also an argument for both countries: how to control the outflow of people who could contain extremist elements. 3

4 The big exodus predicted (1.5 million people) has not materialised. This is partly because of the above-mentioned border closures (in operation before the current crisis began), but also because many Afghans are too poor or weak to reach the frontiers, and because male Afghans have been forced to remain in the country for conscription Afghans are reported to have crossed into Pakistan through unofficial points on the border. Most of them are so-called "invisible" refugees. The Government of Pakistan (GOP) has agreed that UNHCR should care for these people - hosted by families and friends in old refugee camps. UNHCR is now considering the delivery of food to the old refugee camps to be able to target these invisible new arrivals. Pakistan has, so far, allowed entry to very few people gathered immediately on the other side of the border. Killi Faizo staging camp in Pakistan, near the Chaman border, currently holds some 2400 people. 2. People are gathering close to the borders with Iran and Pakistan, in a no man's land inside Afghanistan. The status of these people is neither IDP nor refugee. They are what NGOs are calling "internal refugees". 3. The setting up of these camps is a matter of concern as they involve security risks to UNHCR and other humanitarian personnel. There is also the risk that assistance provided inside the country may not be used for humanitarian purposes. 4. On 8 November, UNHCR and GOP : - agreed on three new sites identified in Baluchistan and eight in North West Frontier Province which are ready and can be opened immediately. All sites are to be considered ready as soon as UNHCR confirms that arrangements are in place for the provision of water, health, shelter and sanitation; - reached an understanding on invisible refugees (UNHCR and Pakistani authorities will deal with this issue). - agreed criteria for the most vulnerable refugees (orphans, sick and wounded people). This represents a significant change in GOP thinking although the GOP requested that the programme not be publicised to avoid creating a pull factor. GOP has also indicated that its willingness to assist Afghans in Pakistan will depend on the extent to which the international community and UNHCR make progress in providing adequate levels of assistance to those in need inside Afghanistan and to old refugee caseloads. The highest priority is still to provide assistance inside Afghanistan. The rapid advances of the United Front ( Northern Alliance ) means that more areas may become accessible to humanitarian organisations (UN, ICRC, NGOs) but a lot depends on how quickly law and order can be established. There have been recent reports of looting and abduction of local humanitarian personnel. 2 million people are reported to be on the move. Reports indicate that up to 70% of the population of Kandahar and Jalalabad have left. Several IDP settlements are reported around Kabul. There is also an increased number of internally displaced in the northern provinces as a result of fighting between Northern Alliance and Taliban forces. These IDPs are in addition to the one million IDPs identified prior to 11 September. For two regions - West (Herat) and North (Mazar) - there are roughly 500,000 IDPs currently being assisted. These two groups need around 11,000 tonnes of food per month. 4

5 : The regions of major concern are the North and West which have been most affected by the drought (especially Faryab, Sar-e- Pul, Badghis and Ghor provinces). For these 4 provinces it is estimated that 400,000 people still living in their villages have less than three months of food supplies in stock. WFP has built up its delivery capacity very quickly over the last two weeks. Their daily target is around 2,000 tonnes (62,000 tonnes per month). Last week they delivered tonnes. WFP currently faces two problems: - Asymmetric pipelines: 80 % of the food is entering from Pakistan. The Northern pipelines are still weak (but improving); - NGO capacity is overstretched for the delivery of the food to the final beneficiaries.. Despite logistical and security problems, the majority of agencies are still operational in the region, maintaining aid activities within Afghanistan via their local personnel under remote management from reduced expatriate teams based mainly in Pakistan. The situation by sector, for pre-existing ECHO-funded projects is as follows: Demining activities: put on hold. Only emergency demining teams are active on request from population and humanitarian actors Health activities: normal level Food security projects: scaled down, depending on WFP supply Shelter and winter needs: running at normal level, strongly influenced by food availability (food for work) Water and sanitation: run at medium level in rural areas and in some major IDP camps (Herat, Mazar) NGOs are simultaneously developing new mechanisms for sustaining activities in Afghanistan. For this purpose, most are setting up their bases in neighbouring countries. After initial difficulties, humanitarian agencies are now proceeding with their relocation around Afghanistan. According to NGO sources, a better understanding by the Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan authorities has been observed since the tour of Central Asia by Mr. Oshima, the UN Emergency Relief Co-ordinator and Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs. Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan appear to have agreed to facilitate visa procedures and authorise the establishment of UN and NGO humanitarian offices in their countries. Uzbekistan: President Karimov says he will allow the UN and NGOs to use the port of Termez (Amu Darya River) to move aid to Afghanistan by barge. Estimates suggest 30% of Afghanistan s food needs could be imported via this route. The Uzbeks have not agreed to reopen Termez bridge across the Amu Darya (closed since 1996) due to the Taliban s proximity to the border. Turkmenistan seems much more reluctant. However it has allowed cross border operations and has agreed to facilitate NGOs operations if they are under the UN umbrella. 5

6 Iran, according to NGOs sources, has been very helpful in assisting humanitarian actors to set up their bases. However, there are still long delays in obtaining visas. Tajikistan has agreed on relief flights as well as river crossings. The President has issued instructions to facilitate the issue of visas to NGO staff. The government of Tajikistan and the UN will set up a joint centre to co-ordinate aid in Afghanistan. The forum organised by the UN in Geneva on 5 and 6 October with the whole international humanitarian community (implementing agencies and donors) recalled that the political and military objectives with those of humanitarian assistance which are solely to save and preserve civilians lives. Humanitarian organisations independence of action should also be respected. The Commission/ECHO subscribe fully to this approach and are fully committed to ensuring the neutrality and impartiality of its funded-operations. This is not just an expression of the values of European society (humanity, respect, solidarity) but also a practical question of security for relief workers on the ground. There is an international responsibility, shared by the Commission and the EU as a whole (reflected in the mandate of Mr. Brahimi, the UNSG Special Representative for Afghanistan) to ensure that the impact of military actions on civilians is minimised. As is always the case in major crises, a large number of humanitarian actors are engaged in the relief effort (UN agencies, Red Cross and NGOs with the support of numerous donors). The European Commission (through ECHO) is playing an active role to support international co-ordinating mechanisms (UN, Donors Afghan support Group) reflected in its funding for OCHA in the latest harness the efforts of all humanitarian organisations in a way that maximises the impact and quality of the aid. Commissioner Nielson and Commission services are in regular, daily contact with other donors and implementing partners, particularly UN agencies (including the UNHCR and the ICRC) and NGOs. More recently, on 7 November, Commissioner Nielson addressed a public hearing organised by the European Parliament on Aid to Afghans. He has had face to face meetings with the Ms Bertini, Head of the World Food Programme, Ms Bellamy, Head of UNICEF and members of the Uzbek government in recent days. Mr Nielson will visit the region at the start of December. 6

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