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Humanitarian Aid in Afghanistan
Oct 18 - Afghanistan is the world’s largest refugee crisis. Approximately 4 million Afghans are in exile, mainly in Pakistan (2 million) and Iran (1.5 million).
In addition, one million Afghans have been uprooted and are now living as displaced persons inside Afghanistan, where little or no help is available and the basic infrastructure is long gone. Five million Afghans are currently dependent on humanitarian aid to survive. The United Nations estimate that as many as 7.5 million may soon need humanitarian assistance to survive.
Women and girls are especially at risk. Neglected and abused by the Taliban, Afghan women’s nutritional status is “horrendous”; pregnancies and births (99 per cent) are unattended, and their general condition is one of exhaustion, ill health and maltreatment, according to UNFPA representative in Pakistan, Olivier Brasseur.
In Afghanistan:
UNFPA is still working inside Afghanistan through local NGOs providing reproductive health and counselling services to Afghan women in the north and near Mazaar-i-Sharif. Drugs and other supplies are still in stock and are expected to last two months.
In Pakistan:
UNFPA is prepared for an influx of up to 1 million refugees in addition to the 2 million Afghan refugees already in camps in the country. Supplies and personnel are in place.
UNFPA is already providing services and training in the officially recognized camps with registered refugees as well as in a number of temporary locations.
Two mobile clinics will be used to provide services to the displaced population in areas with high concentration of refugees and IDPs. The service will continue until clinical services are operational. The clinics are equipped with minor surgical equipment and the required supplies for anaesthesia and management of complicated deliveries.
Individual hygiene items: Provisions are being made to meet the basic needs of 400,000 women of reproductive age (15-49) in basic individual hygiene items such as undergarments and basic sanitary materials.
Local personnel: Two medical teams to work at the mobile clinics (Four paramedics and four physicians). Local personnel will be recruited by UNFPA to support the workload of the head office in Islamabad and facilitate the logistical operations in Northwest Frontier Province.
Sub-contracts for NGOs: A lump sum of $200,000 is provided for distribution among NGOs participating in reproductive health services.
Reproductive health and gender training: Two workshops will train emergency workers in reproductive health delivery and gender sensitivity issues.
Data collection: UNFPA will coordinate an assessment of the overall health and demographic situation of the displaced population.
In Iran:
UNFPA is prepared for an influx of up to 400,000 refugees in addition to the about 1.5 million Afghan refugees already living in the country.
Two mobile clinics will be used to provide services to the displaced population in areas with high concentration of refugees and IDPs.
The service will continue until clinical services are operational. The clinics are equipped with minor surgical equipment and the required supplies for anaesthesia and management of complicated deliveries.
Individual hygiene items are being provided in order to meet the needs of 400,000 women of reproductive age (15-49).
The supplies include undergarments and basic sanitary materials.
Local medical staff is being recruited to help train other personnel, as well as provide planning and monitoring skills.
UNFPA funding will also be provided for local and international NGOs working in the area of reproductive health service and gender support. NGOs working in areas with high concentration of refugees will be provided with access to supplies and training materials.
Two workshops will train emergency workers in reproductive health delivery and gender sensitivity issues.
UNFPA will provide support for operations, office space and materials for relief effort infrastructure and producing informational materials on the various aspects of reproductive health and family planning for education of refugees. Support also includes materials and equipment to support minor income generation activities for female-headed households in the camps.
In In Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan:
UNFPA is prepared for an influx of up to 50,000 refugees in each country.
In Uzbekistan and Tajikistan there is a growing consensus that a massive influx of Afghan refugees would be less likely now. Afghans are also likely to know that the border with Uzbekistan is closed.
Cross-border operations are being prepared to reach internally displaced women in Northern Afghanistan, conditions permitting. Personnel and supplies can be in place virtually overnight.
Individual hygiene items are being provided in order to meet the needs of women of reproductive age (15-49). The supplies include undergarments and basic sanitary materials.
Local personnel is being hired to facilitate UNFPA operations in the frontier regions; offices in Turkmenistan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan are recruiting temporary personnel. UNFPA is more than doubling its staff in the region.
Transport locally and internationally is being provided to allow delivery of goods and supplies to the southern frontier of Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan and Tajikistan is also being provided.
UNFPA funding will also be provided for local or international NGOs working in the area of reproductive health service and gender support.
In addition, two workshops will train emergency workers in reproductive health delivery and gender sensitivity issues: one introduces the minimal initial service package (MISP), a standard for reproductive health delivery in emergency situations, a second workshop will introduce the operation of clinics that are scheduled to be set up during later phases of the emergency.
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