U.S. AGENCY FOR INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT
BUREAU FOR DEMOCRACY, CONFLICT, AND HUMANITARIAN ASSISTANCE (DCHA)
OFFICE OF U.S. FOREIGN DISASTER ASSISTANCE (OFDA)
CENTRAL ASIA TASK FORCE
Fact Sheet #38, Fiscal Year (FY 2002), December 26, 2001


Note: this Fact Sheet updates previously released Central Asia Region Fact
Sheets and Situation Reports.

Numbers Affected

- According to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of
Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA), 7.5 million Afghans are in urgent need of
humanitarian assistance including food, shelter, health, education, and
demining initiatives.

Relief Activities

On December 26, the USAID/OFDA-funded non-governmental organization (NGO)
International Rescue Committee (IRC) started food distribution to
vulnerable populations in Balkh, northwest Afghanistan, although IRC
reports some difficulties with the "diversion" of some local commodities
by local commanders. IRC is working with the UN regional Coordination
Officer to remedy this problem. IRC also distributes wheat and other foods
in Kabul, Hirat, Paktia, Logar, Nangarhar and Lagham provinces.

Mercy Corps International (MCI), a USAID/OFDA-funded NGO, has sent three
expatriate staff to Kandahar via Chaman and Spin Boldak. MCI and a local
NGO are carrying out a broad needs assessment of internally displaced
persons (IDPs) and other vulnerable groups in and around Kandahar city,
which will serve as a baseline for the distribution of USAID/OFDA-provided
non-food items (NFIs).

The UN World Food Program (WFP) has dispatched approximately 80,000 MT of
food into Afghanistan this month. This amount equals 200 to 300 trucks
crossing into Afghanistan from Pakistan, Iran, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan,
and Tajikistan with 4,000 MT every day in December.


Security

On December 22, Afghanistan's new interim administration came into power.
During the first cabinet meetings, interim chairman Hamid Karzai
emphasized the need for reconstruction efforts and establishing unity and
security in Afghanistan.

On December 25, UNOCHA reported that establishing peace and security
through the rapid deployment of a multinational force to Kabul is vital to
facilitating humanitarian work and paving the route to reconstruction.
Foreign troops from Germany, Italy, Belgium, and other countries, in
addition to a 70 British soldiers who arrived in Bagram last week, may
arrive in Kabul as soon as next week, but the full deployment of the
multinational force is expected to take approximately four weeks.

Although security remains volatile in northern Afghanistan, a number of UN
international staff crossed the border from Uzbekistan into Afghanistan
this week.

In the Kandahar region, 238,000 people are reportedly vulnerable and food
insecure, although WFP reports that Kandahar remains inaccessible due to
insecurity. WFP reported on December 26 that some groups may be demanding
a US$100 "tax" for entry into Kandahar City.


Population Movements

On December 25, the UN Office for High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR)
resumed their relocation efforts, transporting 1,100 refugees from Jalozai
to Kotkai in Najour Agency. UNHCR has relocated 12,000 refugees from North
West Frontier Province.

UNHCR completed the distribution of winter packages, consisting of cooking
and heating stoves, coal, blankets, jerry cans, and a small amount of
cash, to 1,500 IDPs living in and around Kabul on December 25.

UNHCR reported on December 26 that the number of refugees returning to
Afghanistan from Pakistan has steadily increased. 10,000 people crossed
into Afghanistan at the Chaman border crossing between December 23 and 26.
Up to 5,000 refugees may be crossing the borders every day. However, due
to continued insecurity and the threat of mines, UNHCR does not encourage
repatriation at this time and estimates that a larger repatriation effort
would likely begin in the spring.

According to the International Organization for Migration (IOM), an
estimated 1,887 of approximately 11,200 IDPs in Faisabad, in northeastern
Badakshan province, have returned to their homes since December 23. IOM in
Kunduz has requested trucks to assist in the return of IDPs.


Logistics

International organizations have reported that the road between Quetta
(Pakistan) and Hirat (eastern Afghanistan) has reopened to humanitarian
relief shipments. Last week, WFP successfully sent a small trial food
shipment from Quetta to Zaranj, Nimroz in southwestern Afghanistan. WFP in
Quetta has been gradually increasing its food shipments to Helmand and
Nimroz provinces, with 1,850 MT dispatched on December 24.

The NGO ACTED in Maimana reports that the wintry weather and resulting
muddy conditions have slowed road transport in western Faryab province.
The roads throughout northern Afghanistan continue to be negatively
effected by the weather.

According to UNOCHA, effective December 24, the Ministry of Foreign
Affairs of Tajikistan issued an official note providing multiple crossing
permits at Farkhhor and Nizhni-Pyanj to international staff, which further
simplifies the transport of relief goods between Tajikistan and
Afghanistan.

UNICEF and UNHCR report that operations over the Friendship Bridge from
Termez, Uzbekistan are running smoothly, and the Government of Uzbekistan
has been helpful in facilitating the movement of humanitarian goods across
the bridge. On December 25, 20 railcars with an estimated 1,300 MT of
wheat crossed the bridge.

A barge with 260 MT of relief commodities crossed from Uzbekistan into
Afghanistan on December 22, and another barge with 130 MT of UNICEF and
UNHCR commodities left Termez on December 26. However, insufficient cranes
at the ports and unusable rail spurs to Hairaton warehouses have slowed
delivery efforts.


U.S. Government Activities

Disaster Declarations & Background

On October 4, 2001, Assistant Secretary of State for South Asian Affairs
Christina B. Rocca redeclared a complex humanitarian disaster for
Afghanistan for FY 2002.

On October 10, 2001, U.S. Charge d'Affaires James A. Boughner declared a
disaster for Tajikistan due to drought.


FY 2002 USG Assistance to Afghanistan

Total USAID/OFDA ... $68,573,036
Total USAID/FFP ... $40,555,000
Total USAID/OTI ... $1,687,820
Total State/PRM ... $32,260,000
Total DOD* ... $50,897,769
TOTAL USG Humanitarian Assistance FY 2002 ... $193,973,625
TOTAL USG Humanitarian Assistance FY 2001 ... $183,107,625

TOTAL USG Humanitarian Assistance to Afghanistan FY 2001/2002
$377,081,250


FY 2002 USG Assistance to Tajikistan

Total USAID/OFDA ... $998,180
Total USAID/FFP ... $20,000,000
TOTAL USG Humanitarian Assistance to Tajikistan FY 2002  $20,998,180
TOTAL USG Humanitarian Assistance to Tajikistan FY 2001  $67,210,000

TOTAL USG Humanitarian Assistance to Tajikistan FY 2001/2002
$88,208,180

Note: Full details of funding above are available in weekly USAID/OFDA
Central Asia Region Situation Reports.

* Note: DOD funding totals are estimates.


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