United Nations - Islamabad

Following the explosion at the Afghan Construction and Logistic Unit (ACLU) warehouse on Friday the hospital in Jalalabad informed that the blast killed 11 people, including 4 children and 1 woman, as well as damaging 80% of the village of Darwanta. Investigations by the local authorities are ongoing.

UNAMA, UN Agencies, NGOs, ICRC reviewed their capacity to provide immediate assistance to the victims and support the local authorities in assessing damage and determining further needs.

Twenty-two national Afghans are going to be deployed as United Nations Volunteers (UNVs) as part of a capacity building project to enhance the operations of Afghanistan's Central Bank across the provinces.

The programme, which is funded by the Australian Government, was signed in Kabul in early July and became operational during the first week in August. Its aims are two-fold. First it will focus on raising the technological base of the Bank to permit it to become involved in more contemporary Central Bank management activities. This will assist the institution to engage international markets more effectively. The second area of support will focus on assisting the Bank to establish stronger regional links and offices across Afghanistan.

Both activities are seen as part of the capacity building process necessary for the Central Bank to fully execute its financial and banking mandate. To date nine persons from an initial group of 12 national UNVs have been recruited. This recruitment was undertaken directly with the Governor of the Central Bank with support from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and UNV. The programme will last 12 months with the first six-month phase taking place in Kabul. The second phase, which includes the training of local staff in electronic banking, will take place in the provinces. The 22 volunteers will be recruited in two groups.

At 9.00 a.m. this morning, the Country Director of United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), Mr. Ercan Murat, together with the Japanese Ambassador and representative of the Ministry of Education officially opened work on Rabia School in district 7 of Kabul city. The school, which will accommodate 1,2000 boys and girls, has been almost completely destroyed during the years of civil war. UNDP will be employing 140 laborers over the next eight weeks to completely rebuild and renovate the facility. The project is financed by the government of Japan.

Additionally, this week UNDP's REAP Programme also launched a Vocational Training Programme for women in cooperation with the Ministry of Women's Affairs. Training centers have been established in five districts throughout Kabul to improve skills in tailoring and embroidery.

This labour intensive project aims at creating income for the benefit and welfare of Afghan women, by generating 7,700 working days over a 12 week period as each of the 100 trainees receives USD 2.00 per day and the 10 trainers receive USD 5.00 per day.

· Rehabilitation of Waste Management and Sanitation Services in Kandahar City

A project on the rehabilitation of waste management and sanitation services, that will among other things provide employment for 87 women, has so far completed waste facilitators for 40 communities in and around Kandahar.

The objectives of the project which started on 1 August and is coordinated jointly by the Municipality of Kandahar and the United Nations Human Settlement Programme (HABITAT) are: to improve the cleanliness of the environment through works and supplies that enhance services in urban areas; to create employment and kick start the local economy through cash for work projects; and to build linkages between the municipality and communities.

The project, which is funded by the European Commission, has so far hired 87 women as health educators and 19 persons as school visitors. In addition a two-day workshop for the training of male staff has been completed. Habitat staff with expertise on community based solid waste management provided the training. The locations of drain and culverts to be reconstructed have been identified and maps provided.

Donation of Italy
On 6 August, the Government of Italy through the Ministry of Agriculture (AGEA), confirmed a contribution of EURO 6 million (USD 5.8 million) towards the WFP Afghanistan Emergency Operation.

As per last week, a total of 18 donors have responded to the funding needs of the emergency operation. This response, combined with carry-over stocks from the previous operation, covers approximately sixty-eight percent of the requirements or USD 193.6 million.

In spite of generous contributions as the one received last week from Italy, WFP Emergency Operation in Afghanistan still has a shortfall of 32 percent of the total amount appealed, or USD 91.3 million from the international community.

Many donors have already recognized the severe levels of needs in Afghanistan and have contributed to WFP's current emergency operation including: Denmark, European Union, Faroe Islands, Finland, Germany, Friends of WFP from USA, Ireland, Japan, Republic of Korea, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Switzerland, United States of America, Australia, and the United Nations.

WFP Bakeries Update
Last week, two new bakeries started operation in Kandahar City under the Urban Vulnerable programme, bringing the total number of bakeries in that city to seven.

Including the seven bakeries in Kandahar, as of last week the total number of WFP-supported bakeries in the country comes to 111, with 80 in Mazar, and 24 in Kabul.

In Kabul the Women's Bakeries, begun in 1996, are the flagship of the WFP Afghanistan program. The program operates on a cost recovery basis. Beneficiaries pay baking costs and thus receive baked Nan at 40 percent the market rate.

This program powerfully demonstrates WFP's commitment to women, the community at large, community empowerment, advocacy, and the creation of work opportunities for women. And at the same time the programme addresses the needs of the most vulnerable households. Typically these are households headed by women and disabled, with no male income earner to contribute to family income.

UNHCR is alarmed at the sudden increase in the number of refugee returns from Iran, which we believe is a result of "induced" pressure by the authorities. UNHCR office in Mashad warned this morning that 3,000 people are crossing the Dogharoun border. UNHCR staff in Herat are currently scrambling to erect 100 additional tents at the nearby distribution center ahead of their arrival - to expand the overnight accommodation capacity for returnee families from 1,000 to 1,500 people.

During the first week of August, we have seen nearly 10,000 refugees return, which was already an increase from an average of 6,500 weekly returns in July. While we welcome Afghans returning voluntarily, many families who returned from Iran last week told UNHCR staff that they decided to return because of the pressure to leave. Some say their children were rejected from registering for the new school year in Iran.

According to the returnees, the Iranian authorities have been actively broadcasting in Afghan communities that undocumented Afghans must obtain exit visas by 11 August, today, and return to Afghanistan if they were to be eligible for return assistance. [According to further information as of this morning this date has been changed however the details are not yet available.] But UNHCR insists that all Afghan nationals in Iran, documented or undocumented, are entitled to UNHCR's return assistance when and if they choose to repatriate. This was stipulated also under the Tripartite agreement signed in April by the Government of Iran, Afghan authorities and UNHCR.

UNHCR warns that premature, forced or induced returns at this time will not be sustainable and may lead to a reversal of movement in the future. We consider that it is in the interest of the asylum countries to ensure that the refugees themselves are willing and are prepared mentally to return to face the initial reintegration phase.

While aid agencies are scrambling to support the nearly 1.5 million returnees with the limited resources available, it is not an easy task for the returning Afghans to rebuild their lives in a country devastated by years of conflict and drought. Some parts of Afghanistan are bustling with returnees and conditions may be improving, but there are still other areas where the security situation remains fragile or the effects of drought have not been improved.

The total number of assisted returns from Iran since April and as at 10 August is 124,500.

Some 80 percent of Afghan children are now protected for life against deadly disease.

Health authorities in Afghanistan are renewing their fight against measles, on the back of an assessment indicating that the country is on course to yielding the region's highest coverage rates.

The latest phase of the measles immunisation campaign began on 10 August in Bamyan Province.

As of the previous round of immunisations in July - part of a mass two-year campaign that started in 2001- approximately 8 million Afghan children, between the ages of six months and 12 years, have been protected for life against the deadly disease. The campaign's target population is 10 million.

It is estimated that 35,000 young lives will be saved this year by the campaign, led by the Ministry of Public Health, and with support from UNICEF and the World Health Organisation.

After the July round, most parts of the country were reporting positive coverage rates. In Kabul Province, for example, more than 715,000 children had been vaccinated out of a target 1.1 million, or 63 percent. In Herat, it was 95 percent; in Kandahar, 76 percent.

There were regions, such as Bamyan Province with 33 percent, where districts had yet to be reached due to their being geographically remote, and such factors as availability of trained staff and weather conditions.

Q: You said there was massive destruction in the village around the Darwanta. Do those people have adequate shelter and any assistance from the UN for temporary shelter or food? What precisely is the United Nations providing for them?
Spokesman: I think that the main concern is the integrity of the buildings and the local security forces, local authorities are to protect the area from people circulating and avoid any kinds of accidents because the constructions are weak, are vulnerable as a result of the explosion. I don't have the exact kind of aid being provided. I know that on the medical side ICRC - that already supports the Jalalabad hospital - took the lead on the assistance of those who entered the hospital.

Jalalabad as you know, is an area with a fairly large presence of both UN and NGOs and ICRC and international organizations, so given the numbers, I would assume that whatever is required is already in place. It would not need to come from Kabul or any place else. We will check and come back to you on this.

[Later the Spokesman informed that a committee, chaired by the head of the Afghan Red Crescent Society, and including representatives from the Ministry of Public Health, the United Nations and the local authorities, met at the request of the Governors Office to discuss the assistance required following the explosion on Friday.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) will provide medicines for the nearby health facility based at the University. If this is insufficient, then they will also establish a mobile tent with the necessary supplies. UNHCR will supply 100 blankets, 150 plastic mats, 200 soaps, 150 jerry cans and 20 plastic sheets. While WFP will provide 2 months worth of food to the affected families. This includes wheat, pulses and oil. Intersos, the international NGO will also provide 21 tents (arriving tomorrow from Peshawer) and 2 bladders of water, each with a capacity of 1,000 litres.
Local authorities will provide them with storage space, staff for the medical facilities, and security before distribution begins by the International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Society, and the Afghan Red Crescent Society who will also provide volunteers. Representatives from the UN agencies and NGOs will be present to monitor distribution.
WFP are already outlining plans to begin a "Food for Work" programme which will involve clearing the roads. They anticipate starting this in one month.]

Q: Are there any representations being made to the Iranians on the Iranian coercion and with President Khatami visiting on Tuesday are there any plans to discuss this with him?
UNHCR: I do understand that this coming visit will be a purely bilateral thing. But, we came to know this issue or supposed deadline imposed to the Afghans in Iran about a month ago and since then we have constant discussions with the authorities in Tehran as well as with the local authorities, basically to reiterate our position and the agreement that was agreed by the government, that these returns must be voluntary. We have raised several times our concerns inside Iran. Unfortunately, we are seeing some of the effects of this announcement starting this past week.

Q: Do you have analysis on while the Iranians are doing this now?
UNHCR: First of all, Iran as an asylum country, we have to recognize that they have been very generous in accommodating Afghans. They were eligible for schooling and various benefits and UNHCR definitely recognizes that and appreciates that. The precise reasons - probably there are various reasons. They are at this point seeing that many people are returning and they would like to see the Afghans return from Iran to Afghanistan as well. The details of the reasons, I think you might ask the Iranians.

Q: Are similar pressures be exerted by the Pakistan government?
UNHCR: We have had almost 1.4 million people coming back from Pakistan. Yes, indeed in the past we have seen some returns which were a little less than voluntary. We did have some reports that there were some harassments, some friction with the local police and there are minority families. I am not saying that these are the majority of the returnees. Some families, for example around Jalalabad, who basically came back to a place where they know that there houses were not there, they have no place to go and right now there are living or squatting in places other than their own houses.

Q: Just to clarify. Was it 124,500 returnees from Iran?
UNHCR: That is the return figure, yes. This is the number of assisted returns. Beyond that there are significant numbers of unassisted returns, mainly people who are coming back on their own.

Q: The death toll from the explosion is now 11 not 25?
Spokesman: That is what we have. That is what the hospital has told us.

Q: Does the UN have any plans to rehabilitate the road to Jalalabad at all?
Spokesman: I think everyone would like to rehabilitate everything in this country. The government has, as you know, a major plan and feasibility studies have taken place regarding road repairs. President Karzai is always talking about how much of a priority roads are here as an element of unifying the country but also an element of facilitating commerce and circulation of people. This is one of the areas, one of the sectors that is considered as a major priority for the reconstruction efforts here and that is where the funds are so much required and everyone is hoping that they will be coming forward faster in order to be able to attend to these needs.