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Afghanistan

Afghanistan Weekly Situation Report 17 - 22 Mar 2005

I. SITUATION UPDATE

In the south, in Kandahar, an improvised explosive device (IED) exploded, killing five and injuring 32 civilians on 17 March. UNAMA and WFP vehicles were slightly damaged in the incident.

The security situation remained relatively calm throughout other areas of the country.

II. IMPLEMENTATION AND OPERATIONS UPDATE

During the reporting period, 424,000 beneficiaries received 2,000 mt of food.

WINTER/FLOOD EMERGENCY RESPONSE1

HIRAT

On 22 March, WFP started distribution of 25 mt of wheat, rice and pulses to 782 families stranded by floods in the western Farah province. This food should cover immediate food needs of nearly 5,000 people.

Out of 32 mt planned for pre-positioning in Doliana district of Ghor, seven mt have already been dispatched by truck and the remaining 25 tons will leave on 24 March.

KANDAHAR

Following a flash flood in Uruzgan's Dihrawud district on 18 March, leading to the evacuation of 400 people to Uruzgan's capital Tirin Kot, WFP was able to draw on a total of 110 mt of food available in the city. In Dihrawud itself, WFP delivered 230 mt of food, including ten tons that were airlifted by coalition forces on 20 and 21 March, enough to feed 25,000 people for one month.

800 mt of food was pre-positioned for Zabul province. 44 mt of food for 820 families (almost 5,000 people) in Tarnak and 49 mt of food for 910 families (5,400 people) in Shajoy districts have already been delivered. Food delivery is on going for the remaining districts.

In Hilmand, WFP has allocated 682 mt of food, covering the needs of 6,200 flood affected families (37,000 people) for 2 months. Distribution of 400 mt of food for 22,200 people is on going in the flood affected districts of the province.

In Khakrez district of Kandahar 66 mt of food was distributed to 6,600 winter affected people. Furthermore, nearly 5,000 Kuchi nomadic pastoralists received 45 mt of mixed food in Daman district.

To assist the flood affected population in Nimroz, 44 mt of food is dispatched to cover 400 families in Chakhansur and 77 mt for 700 families in Khash Rod districts.

FAYZ ABAD

321 families in five villages of Baghlan province have been affected by recent floods. United Nations joint mission assessed the areas and have started emergency assistance of food and non-food items to the affected families. 28 mt of mixed food has been dispatched to meet the urgent food needs of these families.

KABUL

100 mt of food is delivered for distribution to 900 winter-affected families in Azra and 30 mt to 275 families in Kharwar districts of Logar province.

Over 150 families are affected by recent floods in Kunar province. WFP delivered 17 mt of food to assist flood-affected families in Asad Abad and Chapa Dara districts.

Several districts in Paktika, Ghazni and Wardak will soon receive 153 mt of food to cover food needs of nearly 1,400 families.

IV. OTHER SIGNIFICANT ISSUES

COLLABORATION WITH COMMUNITIES, GOVERNMENT, NGOs and OTHER UN AGENCIES

To accelerate the continued efforts for assisting the recent flood and winter affected populations, Government, United Nations agencies and cooperating partners met in Kandahar and Faryab provinces. They agreed to enhance the existing coordination of the humanitarian activities and form active emergency teams for each province in these regions. The teams will carry out assessments in the affected areas to facilitate the relief activities.

Note: 1 Please note that:
Hirat refers to the WFP Hirat Area office, which includes the provinces of Farah, Badghis, Hirat and Ghor
Kandahar refers to the WFP Kandahar Area Office, which includes the provinces of Hilmand, Kandahar, Nimroz, Uruzgan and Zabul.
Fayz Abad refers to the WFP Faizabad Area Office, which includes the provinces of Baghlan , Badakhshan , Takhar and Kunduz
Kabul refers to the WFP Kabul Area Office, which includes the sub-offices in Jalal Abad and Bamyan and the provinces of Bamyan, Day Kundi, Ghazni, Kabul, Kapisa, Khost, Kunar, Laghman, Logar, Nangarhar, Nuristan, Paktika, Paktya, Panjsher, Parwan and Wardak.