Situation in Northern Afghanistan deteriorating further

Islamabad (Office of the United Nations Co-ordinator for Afghanistan), 10 January 2001 -- Medecins sans Frontieres (MSF)/Belgium has just finished a nutrition and mortality survey in remote villages of south and southeast of Qaiser district in southern Faryab Province, Afghanistan. The survey indicates alarming results.
The mortality rate among children under five is 5.2 per 10,000 per day. This means 13 deaths out of 697 children under five over a period of 36 days. Moreover, the survey was conducted in only eight of 28 villages and may not completely represent the situation of the more remote and inaccessible villages of the district. The areas surveyed represent two out of the five districts in Faryab Province declared as crisis areas due to drought.

The findings of the assessment also show that the coping mechanisms of people have been completely exhausted. People are reduced to eating roots and grass, almost all young men are reported to have left the area and have gone either to main cities of the country or to Iran, and population movements are common. Most families have sold their ploughing animals and there is no seed available. The majority of families have not planted any wheat and lack the means to do so.

Meanwhile, in Kunduz and Baghlan Provinces in northern Afghanistan, the regional task force on displaced persons (IDPs) is making fresh attempts to develop a better understanding of the situation of those families recently displaced due to conflict. Following joint assessments that began 1 January, WFP food will be distributed in February to all IDPs displaced by conflict in these two provinces. Each family of the 7,821 in need (over 45,000 people) will receive 50 kilos of wheat, a one-month supply. The displaced are in Khanabad, Aliabad, Kunduz City, and Imam Saheb (all in Kunduz Province) and in Charshanbe Tepa, Old Baghlan, New Baghlan, Pulikhumri, Doshi and Dhand-i-Ghauri in Baghlan Province.

In addition, WFP will create work opportunities for the IDPs in Kunduz and Baghlan. The project will provide 1800 metric tons of wheat for work to 4000 families.

Northern Afghanistan has been badly affected by the twin problems of drought and conflict. In 2000, the wheat crop dropped by 65% in rain fed areas and by 30% in irrigated areas, compared to 1999. In addition, livestock herd size decreased by 70-80% by the end of the second quarter of 2000. As the last productive asset of most poor families, livestock continues to be liquidated to ensure bare minimum survival. Compounding these severe economic difficulties is the precipitous drop in daily wages, which have fallen to a low of one kilo of wheat per day compared to a pre-drought norm of seven kilos per day. Moreover, due to lack of water, some families are emigrating, while others have been compelled to fetch water from up to 40 kilometres from their homes.

For further information, please call: Stephanie Bunker, Office of the UN Co-ordinator for Afghanistan, 2211451 x 415; 0320-261325.