Overview June 11, 2004 Afghan authorities arrest two suspects in connection with the slaying of Chinese construction workers; Taliban denies attack Afghan authorities have reportedly arrested two suspects in connection with the attack on Chinese construction workers in the northeastern province of Kunduz yesterday (Thursday, June 10) that left eleven workers dead and at least four others injured. The authorities are also seeking three other suspects. Provincial governor Mohammad Omar has called the attack politically motivated. According to Reuters reports, provincial military commander General Dawood (also spelled Daoud) is saying that the attack was not the work of the Taliban or its allies, but a disgruntled northern commander aiming to disrupt security and reconstruction. He did not name the commander. Dawood s comments come shortly after a Taliban spokesman denied their involvement in the attack. Abdul Latif Hakimi, a Taliban spokesman, told Agence France-Presse over the phone from an 1
undisclosed location that he had checked with all the Taliban commanders in the area and they had all denied their involvement in the attack. Hakimi said that if the Taliban does something it clearly claims responsibility for it. Hakimi was quoted as saying that Why would the Taliban kill innocent workers from China? We don t do such things. Hakimi said organizations other than the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) and Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) who take their orders from the Americans, were safe and could continue their work. Some 20 gunmen ambushed two tents at a construction site some 22 miles (35 kilometers) south of Kunduz where the construction workers were sleeping. The attack took place 01:00 AM local time (2030 HMT) on Thursday while all the workers were asleep. Most of the victims died of gunshot wounds in the head and the stomach. The victims, mostly from the eastern Chinese province of Shandong, worked for the China Railway Construction Shisiju Group Corporation and were working on a road construction project in the area being financed by the World Bank. ICRC to visit US detention facility in Afghanistan's southern province of Kandahar The US military in Afghanistan is allowing the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) to visit one of its detention facilities in Afghanistan s southern province of Kandahar. Lieutenant Colonel Tucker Mansager told a news briefing in the Afghan capital Kabul on Wednesday (June 9) that the decision was in response to an informal request by the ICRC made some three weeks ago, adding that the decision was deliberate and well thought out and in the best interest of the Afghan people. Mansager said it was not something hastily considered. The details of the visit remain to be worked out between the US-led coalition and the ICRC. US coalition forces continue to hold nearly 400 Taliban and al-qaeda prisoners at some 20 detention facilities across Afghanistan. UN convoy ambushed in southeastern Afghanistan, no reports of casualties Unidentified gunmen armed with light weapons and rocket-propelled grenades (RPGs), opened fire at a United Nations (UN) convoy in southeastern Paktia province on Sunday (June 6), however, there were no reports of injuries or serious damage. Manoel de Almeida e Silva, spokesman for the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA), told a press briefing that a five-vehicle UN convoy carrying some 15 Afghan and foreign election workers on its way from neighboring Khost province to the provincial capital Gardez, came under attack in Shwak district, some 120 miles (200 kilometers) south of the Afghan capital Kabul. He said, Assailants along the side of the road started to fire on the convoy, with small arms and rocket-propelled grenades. Police escorting the convoy reportedly returned fire and the convoy reached Gardez without any casualties. UNHCR suspends refugee repatriation operations in southwestern Pakistan The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) is saying that it is temporarily suspending its Afghan refugee repatriation operation in the provincial capital of Quetta in Pakistan s southwestern Balochistan province. UNHCR spokesman Jack Redden told a press briefing in Pakistan s capital Islamabad that it has suspended its operation in Quetta amid security concerns. He added that the UNHCR would resume its activities pending an improvement in the security situation. The decision comes after a warning by Pakistani authorities that terrorists were planning to carry out suicide attacks in Quetta against six non-governmental organizations, including the UNHCR. 2
Supply Routes Map for Humanitarian Aid 3
Movement Refugee and IDP returns in the last 18 months are 3.6 million with over 2.7 million refugees returning and over 500,000 IDPs returning home. Over two million people have returned from Pakistan; 700,000 from Iran. In 2004, over 260,000 refugees returned by early June 150,000 from Pakistan and 110,000 from Iran including 40,000 spontaneous returns. With recent surges, the return rate is about 100,000 per month. UNHCR (UN High Commission for Refugees) plans for 500,000 to return from Pakistan this year, up from 400,000 estimated earlier; UNHCR also plans on 500,000 returns from Iran in 2004. UNHCR plans to close new post-september 2001 camps near the border in Pakistan by September 2004. About 800,000 refugees remain in Iran and 1.6 million in Pakistan. Remaining in Pakistan are over 200,000 in cities, over 1 million in old camps and 200,000 in new post-2001 camps. Emphasis in 2003 was on repatriation from old camps and cities in Pakistan to rural areas in Afghanistan. 70% of returnees from Pakistan were from cities and 30% from camps. Over a third returned to Kabul, another 10% went to other central provinces, and just over 20% returned to each of the north and east. The Southern region received 6% and the Western region 4%. The 2003 peak months were June with 92,000 and July with 78,000. In 2002 over 2.3 million Afghan refugees returned with 2 million assisted by UNHCR. UNHCR repatriated 1.53 million Afghan refugees from Pakistan, including 125,000 from Baluchistan and 1.4 million from the North West Frontier Province. 82% were from urban areas; only 3% were from new camps. 265,000 refugees were assisted in returning from Iran; and 10,000 refugees from the central Asian republics. UNHCR, the Afghan Ministry for Refugees and Repatriation, and IOM (International Organization for Migration) plan to assist 90,000 IDPs return home in 2004. UNHCR started modest 2004 IDP returns. This week 600 people returned from Khost province in the east. There are 184,000 recorded, active IDPs, with the actual total being, perhaps, some 300,000. Active IDP numbers are 144,000 in the South, 21,000 in the West, 2,800 in the Center, 5,500 in the East and Southeast, and 41,000 in the North and Northeast. UNHCR assisted 60,000 IDPs to return in 2003. This week WFP brought in 2,100 MT of food from external hubs and disbursed 4,100 MT to beneficiaries leaving in-country stocks of 15,100 MT. Routes for Humanitarian Aid and Refugees Country Supply Routes Supply/Return Routes To From Iran Pakistan Mashhad Dogharun, Herat, Badghis & Ghor Major refugee repatriation route; Zabol Nimruz Refugee repatriation route; Peshawar Jalalabad, Kabul, Bamiyan & Khyber Pass refugee camps in NWFP, Major refugee repatriation route; Torkham Pakistan Quetta Refugee camps in Baluchistan, Significant refugee repatriation route Pakistan & Kandahar and Herat Tajikistan Nizhny Pyandzh Sherkhan, Kunduz, Northern region, & Kabul Salang tunnel between north and Kabul; Tunnel closed 7 AM 5 PM for repairs through September Kyrgyzstan Osh Ishkashim, Faizabad, & NE WFP no longer needs route Turkmenistan Turkmenabat, Kushka Herat, Badghis & Ghor UNHCR no long needs route Turkmenabat, Kerki Andkhoy, Mazar-e-Sharif, & Northern Region UNHCR no longer needs route Uzbekistan Termez Mazar-e-Sharif and North Friendship Bridge for rail and road 4
Afghanistan Relief Efforts: United Nations Regions Central Region IDP Movement NFIs -Shelter Bamiyan 2,800 active IDPs in Central and East Central WFP; preparations for winter complete ICRC, IMC, MSF; malnutrition high IOM,, UNOCHA, & OXFAM New Zealand PRT in Bamiyan 5
: PRT in Parwan; Kabul UNHCR East Central Region IDP Movement 2,800 active IDPs in Central and East Central UN; currently few returning home from Kabul WFP, IRC, Action Contre la Faim CARITAS, MSF, IFRC, IRC, ICRC Russian relief center and hospital; improved ambulance service Non- Items - Shelter UNHCR, ACTED, MSF, IRC, ICRC, IOM; housing being built for squatters Main phase of DDR in progress ICRC; Wells, pumps, and clean water considerably improved; chlorination of wells on-going Eastern Region : Bomb in Nangarhar district administrative office; Election team ambushed in Paktia province; Intense coalition operations along border with Pakistan; US PRT in Gardez; US PRT in Kunar; US PRT in Ghazni province; Coalition says it will establish more PRTs in east and south to improve security and humanitarian support; Main phase of DDR in progress in Gardez; Jalalabad IDP Movement Non- Items - Shelter UNHCR 5,500 active IDPs in East WFP, IRC, MSF, IMC, WHO; ICRC CWS, US PRT in Jalalabad; Provincial security chief killed in explosion; CARITAS; ICRC, 6
Eastern Region IDP Camps Hesarshahi (12 km east of Jalalabad) Sar Shahi Type IDP IDP Capacity International Islamic Relief Organization (ISRO) 9,000 remaining 15,000 Movement IDPs UNHCR assisted 15,000 return home Non- Items (NFIs) - Shelter WES activities of in this camp completed in 2002 and Immunization activities are going on. Northeastern Region Organization Movement IDPs Faizabad 11,000 active IDPs in North and Northeast 117,000 returned spontaneously in Northeastern region OXFAM,, WFP, World Concern Preparations for winter underway Non- Items (NFIs) -Shelter WHO, Merlin,, MSF; ICRC, ACTED, Refugees Int l, Mercy Corps New German/NATO PRT in Feyzabad 7
Northern Region : Chinese road construction workers killed near Kunduz; US PRT in Parwan; Kunduz 11,000 active IDPs in North and Northeast; 60,000 IDPs from North elsewhere in country; Movement IDPs Non- Items (NFIs) Shelter IOM targeting 45,000 IDPs to identify those interested in voluntary assisted return home starting 31 March ACF, FOCUS, OXFAM, IOM, Save the Children; WHO, MSF, Convoys from Mazar-e-Sharif, Kabul, and Tajikistan IOM, ACTED, Mercy Corps NATO/German PRT in Kunduz; Main phase of DDR in progress Immunization activities Aid and relief supplies from North, South, and West Northern Region IDP Camps (Kunduz) Bagh-e-Sherkat Amirabad Type IDP IDP IOM IOM Camp Capacity 22,000 Less than 5,000 between the two camps Less than 5,000 between the two camps Movement IDPs Largely stopped Largely stopped WFP WFP, ACTED, Focus Non- Items (NFIs) - Shelter IOM Water & Sanitation UNICIEF has completed WES activities in the camps in 2002 8
Movement IDPs Non- Items (NFIs) - Shelter Mazar-e-Sharif UNHCR 11,000 active IDPs in North and Northeast; 60,000 IDPs from North elsewhere in country; IOM moving some IDPs home WFP; preparations for winter underway WHO; ICRC. Jordanian field hospital IRC, IOM,, Action Contre la Faim; FAO British PRT in Mazar-e-Sharif; Main phase of DDR starting ICRC Southern Region Southern region has 145,000 active IDPs; : Intense coalition operations along border with Pakistan; Coalition says it will establish more PRTs in east and south to improve security and support humanitarian activities; Kandahar UNHCR Movement of IDPs 145,000 active IDPs in South International staff present and operating Mercy Corps in southern Kandahar Province NFIs - Shelter WHO, ICRC, CARITAS, Mercy Corps; ; UNHCR, Mercy Corps US PRT in Kandahar; Main phase of DDR in progress 9
Southern Region IDP Camps (Kandahar) Type Capacity Movement IDPs NFIs - Shelter Kandahar IDP 90,000 in 39 camps in Panjwai district Survey of IDPs in the Southern Region to be conducted later this month Plan to relocate 55,000 IDPs from Spin Boldak, no-man s land to camps, and Kandahar camps to Zhare Dasht; Relocation from no-man s land complete; selected relocations from Kandahar city to Zhare Dasht underway concerns: crime, banditry, and general insecurity WES projects of in IDP camps completed in 2002 and immunization activities are going on. Southern Region IDP camps south of Kandahar Type Zhare Dasht (South of Kandhar 6 camps) IDP Camp Int l Save our Souls Camp Capacity 30,000; expandable to 60,000 36,000 Movement IDP NFIs - Shelter Initial movement of several hundred to homes in west WFP, MSF; outbreak of diphtheria among under- 18 A concern of potential occupants wells New camps designed to attract IDPs from Spin Boldak 10
Eight Southern Region camps in Panjwai and Maiwand west of Kandahar for 30,000 nomadic Kuchis Mandozai (60 kn from Kandahar) Marghar Morsham Type IDP Camp IDP Camp IDP Camp Cordaid Cordaid Cordaid Camp Capacity 1,700 4,500 16,000 Movement IDP Refugees in noman s land Caritas Caritas Caritas Caritas- Caritas_ Caritas- NFIs - Shelter is doing immunization activities Southern Region IDP Camps (Spin Boldak--Near Afghan-Pakistan Border Chaman Area) About 20,000 IDPs in the Spin Boldak area; plans to move remaining IDPs to 6 camps near Kandahar in process; 7,000 assisted in moving to Zhare Dasht since Oct 2003; 8,000 10,000 assisted in returning home; Al Rashid (Spin Ben Rashid Maktum Rabita Alam el Islam Boldak) (Spin Boldak) (Spin Boldak) Type IDP Camp IDP Camp IDP Camp UNCHR UNHCR UNHCR Camp Capacity 1,100 Movement IDP WFP WFP Distribution interrupted in mid-may and MSF and MSF and MSF NFIs - Shelter Trucks and water tanks Trucks and water tanks UNHCR supplying limited quantities New camp New camp New camp 11
Spin Boldak Spin Boldak Wesh Type IDP Camp IDP Camp IDP Camp International Islamic Relief Organization NGO from United Arab Emirates International Islamic Relief Organization Camp Capacity 6,000 6,000 Movement IDP WFP WFP WFP and MSF and MSF and MSF NFIs - Shelter Trucks and water tanks Trucks and water tanks Trucks and water tanks New camp New camp New camp Western Region 20,500 active IDPs; : 5 MSF workers gunned down in normally quiet Badghis province; Locati Herat Province on UNHCR; ICMC 70,000 or less in 5 remaining camps down from 200,000 to 360,000 depending on estimates Movement IDPs Non- Items (NFIs) Shelter WFP, IRC, CARITAS,, World Vision, IOM, Action Contre la Faim WHO, MSF, MDM, Order of Malta, CHA, IbniSina, HRS; ICRC; UNHCR, Iranian Red Crescent,, IOM, Blankets and fuel being distributed; Ockenden Int l, MSF, IMC US PRT in Herat 12
Mir Daud (25 km west of Heart) Western Region IDP Camps Maslakh (20 km west of Herat) Shaydayee (18 km east of Heart) Type IDP Camp IDP camp IDP camp ICMC ICMC ICMC Camp Capacity 100,000 Movement IDPs (NFIs) - Shelter New arrivals from Badghis and Ghor 11,000 16,000 IOM assisted IDPs return home in North-West for 2003 total of 23,000 WFP; food-for-work program vice distribution WHO, IMC, MSF, MDM, HRS, CHA, IbniSina; ICRC- IOM, UNHCR distributing additional tarps and blankets Western Region IDP Camps (cont.) Minaret 1 & 2 Rawza Herat City Type IDP camp IDP camp IDP camp ICMC ICMC Camp Capacity IOM assisted 23,000 IDPs to return home from Mashlakh and Shaydayee in 2003; MSF reports Shaydayee to close remaining IDPs to be shifted to Maslakh WFP; general food distribution to end April; Shift to food-for-work program vice distribution MSF, UNHCR Less than 2,000 Less than 500 remain Less than 5,000 Movement IDPs MDM doing food supplements Non- Items (NFIs) - Shelter UNHCR and NGO providing tents Officially closed 13
Refugee s in Pakistan UNHCR has been caring for more than 260,000 refugees in Pakistan, including 137,000 people in nine camps and one transit area in Baluchistan Province and 110,000 in seven camps in Northwest Frontier Province. Missions suspended to Kurram Agency, North and South Waziristan and Orakzai tribal areas. Current camp population estimates are 150,000 to 200,000. UNHCR plans to close all post-september 2001 new camps near the border by September 2004; Movement of Refugees NFIs Shelter Baluchistan Province Baluchistan Province 137,000 people in 9 camps and one transit area Afghans in no-man s land relocated to Zhare Dasht and Mohamed Khele; Plans to close other camps in vicinity of Chaman over time WFP Medicins du Monde; MSF, AMDA UN and NGO operations temporarily suspended due to perceived Taliban threat; IFRC, Medicins du Monde; Action Contre la Faim Refugee Camps in Baluchistan, Pakistan Mohamed Khele 1 & 2 (85 km southwest of Quetta) Roghani (new) (16 km from Chaman) Type Refugee Camp Refugee Camp UNHCR/Rotary Intl. UNHCR Camp Capacity 80,000 17,000 - full 37,000 Pashtuns 17,000 No-man s land Refugee Movement 8,000 refugees have been relocated from noman s land Numerous families starting to move to Spin Boldak in Afghanistan; UNHCR plans to close camp in March 2004 WFP, CRS, ARC WFP 14
, MSF,MSF Non- Items (NFIs) - Shelter CRS IFRC, MDM IFRC, MDM, Oxfam Refugee Camps in Baluchistan, Pakistan (cont.) Landi Karez (5 km Tor Tangi (20 km Lejay Karez (75 from Roghani) from Chaman) km from Quetta) new Latifabad (10 km from Mohammad Kheil) Type Refugee Camp Refugee Camp Refugee Camp Refugee Camp UNHCR UAE Red Crescent UNHCR UNHCR Camp Capacity 10,000 10,000 8,600 16,500 10,000 5,700 6,350 ethnic minorities Refugee Movement From Quetta WFP WFP WFP MSF AMDA AMDA NFIs - Shelter IFRC, MDM, Oxfam IFRC, MDM IFRC, MDM IFRC North West Frontier Province (NWFP), Pakistan : Intense Pakistani operations against tribal and foreign militants near Afghanistan border North West Frontier Province 70,000 Refugee Movement Non- Items (NFIs) - Shelter 1,404,000 refugees have returned; some old camps beginning to WFP continues to be a problem in Kurram Agency 15
Refugee Camps in NWFP, Pakistan 37,600 were in Shamshatoo; 35,000 among five remaining camps New Shamshatoo (60 km Kotkai (Bajur Agency 120 Barkali (Bajur Agency) southwest of Peshawar) Km northwest of Peshawar) Type Refugee Camp Refugee Camp Refugee Camp UNHCR Camp Capacity 75,000 20,000 26,000 16,000 1,000 Refugees returning to Refugee Movement Afghanistan; 5,000 from Shalman WFP, IRC WFP WFP NFI - Shelter CRS Primarily for Pashtuns Old Bagzai (Kurram Bassu (Kurram Agency) Asgharo (Kurram Agency) Agency) Type Refugee Camp Refugee Camp Refugee Camp UNHCR UNHCR UNHCR Camp Capacity 10,000 12,200 Refugee Movement 18,000 among three Kurram Agency camps 18,000 among three Kurram Agency camps 18,000 among three Kurram Agency camps WFP; WFP WFP NFIs - Shelter IRC Water & San Private trucks deliver food due to security situation CRS Private trucks deliver food due to security situation Private trucks deliver food due to security situation Established camp for Tajiks, Uzbeks, and Turkmens For Shiite refugees, mostly Tajik and Hazaras Relocated refugees from Jalozai and urban Peshawar 16
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