TALKING POINTS

Update on the Loya Jirga

The number of delegates elected so far in phase II elections are approximately 761 of which 20 are women. The following regions have completed their phase II elections: Mazar, Bamyan, Jalalabad, Ghazni and Kunduz with approximately 120 delegates.

The regions still to complete their phase II elections are Kabul, Herat , Kandahar and Gardez/Logar. All of these regions are expected to complete their phase II elections tomorrow except for Herat which may finish today.

Schedule of Events
The Delegates are expected to arrive in Kabul for the Loya Jirga between 6-8 June. On 8-9 June an orientation and briefing for the Delegates is planned. There will be special sessions for women delegates. We are planning a media visit to the site on 8 June.

UNHCR update on returnees

According to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), the total number of refugees who have returned to Afghanistan since 1 March has now reached 870,000.

Eight hundred thousand out of that total have come from Pakistan with some 60,000 arriving from Iran. Around 10,000 have come from Tajikistan and Turkmenistan.

The average daily return rate during this past month was 13,000 people.

I would like to remind you that the original planning figure of returns for the whole year was 800,000. Here we are today, 4 June, with 800,000 returnees from Pakistan alone.

UNICEF

Preliminary results are now being received from last week's countrywide polio vaccination campaign. This is the second time this year that national immunisation days (NIDs) have taken place across Afghanistan.

In Kabul city and surrounding provinces of Wardak, Logar, Parwan and Kapisa, coverage rates were some 8% higher than anticipated, due to the ongoing arrival of returnees to the area. A total of 1,124,417 children under five were immunised against polio in Kabul and surrounding provinces. UNICEF is also providing polio vaccine on a daily basis to returnees at the UNHCR encashment center in Pule Charkhi. During the month of May, 26,939 children were immunised in the centre.

In conjunction with the polio campaign, Vitamin A supplements were given to children aged six months to five years across the country.

In response to reports of sporadic measles cases in Faryab and Dai Kundi, UNICEF is undertaking more measles vaccinations in these two areas. Districts will be re-vaccinated where current coverage does not exceed 80 per cent of the child population.

UNDP - Recovery and Employment Afghanistan Programme (REAP)

On Thursday, 6 June, at 11.00 a.m. Afghanistan's Minister of Reconstruction, Mohammad Amin Farhang, and the Country Director of the United Nations Development Programme, Ercan Murat, will sign a project document to begin the Recovery and Employment Afghanistan Programme (REAP) in Kandahar.

The REAP Kandahar projects, which are funded by an additional USD 3 million form the Japanese Government, will focus mainly on the rehabilitation of public works and particularly on developing the municipality. They will also generate employment for approximately 30m000 Afghans and run for 10 months.

REAP currently runs 59 projects, employing 11,500 Afghans in Kabul alone.

The signing will take place at the Ministry of Reconstruction.

Questions & Answers

[Due to technical difficulties, the remainder of the Question & Answer session could not be transcribed however subjects covered were Loya Jirga arrangements and preparations.]

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[For the same technical problems, we cannot transcribe the briefing by today's guest Anthony Fitzherbert, a consultant for the FAO. He briefed the press about an Afghan Code of Conduct for seeds and its implications for Afghan farmers. The Code of conduct establishes rules for seed procurement, production and distribution in order to set common standards and guarantee quality assurance throughout the country. It will also ensure that seed brought into Afghanistan will be able to adapt to the conditions of the country. Another objective will be to establish optimum conditions for farmers to receive seed.]