nlp-thedeep/humsetbias huggingface dataset:
The goal of conducting Back to School Campaigns is to ensure that no child is left behind and that all children return to school, prioritizing girls, IDP and returnee children and youth, children living in conflict, children with disabilities and other marginalized groups of children and young people at risk of drop out. Special attention should be paid to ensuring that children do not drop out due to discrimination because of lack of PPE and challenges of applying physical distancing.
In addition to addressing causes of increased migration, actors must ensure a awareness raising is targeted and localised, including key civil society actors and local authorities.
In this background and context, prison inmates' responses are important to examine health conditions, the psychological and behavioural responses of the prisoners/under trials during the early phase of the COVID 19 epidemic
On 26 March, Afghanistan President, Ashraf Ghani, issued Presidential Decree to release about 10,000 prisoners, mostly women, young people, the critically ill and inmates over the age of 55 in a staggered manner. This is to reduce density and attempt to reduce the spread of the illness
Clinics to be opened for 24 hours and distribute hand sanitizer or Dettol soap   Use Of preventive measure like gloves, Mask   Use of protective tools
UN rights chief has urged countries to protect people held in overcrowded prisons and other enclosed facilities by releasing vulnerable detainees, saying COVID 19 "risks rampaging through such institutions"
Afghanistan has imposed movement restrictions in 19/34 provinces with ‘complete' lockdown in major cities including in Kabul city, Herat, Farah, Jalalabad, Asadabad and Zaranj to slow down the spread of C 19. Most Government offices have been working on half the strength, and only select private and government agencies are allowed to operate to provide essential services
The government must take immediate measures for the release of these women and for them to be safely relocated to limit the risk to them,' Afghan Women's Network wrote an open letter to President Ashraf Ghani on the concerns about the conditions of women prisoners and some are under trials. Many of them are also mothers, with their children in custody with them.
The Law of Prisons and Detention Centres regulates the physical places where police and military authorities can hold individuals and including prisons, detention centres and all places of custody. According to Article 7 of the law, a “detention centre is a place where the accused persons that are waiting for trial are kept.' The same article also defines a prison: “A prison is a place where individuals, termed convicts on the final verdict of a court, are kept.'
But when it comes to the male prisoners, where the overcrowding is highly reported. The male prisoners stated that the space is adequate for 300 prisoners but there are nearly 700 prisoners instead. Thus it is more than double the capacity and thus some cells are highly overcrowded
Sick prisoners also may not be dealing with a medical system that is equipped or staffed to meet their needs, particularly during a pandemic. “Prison infirmaries generally lack life support equipment,'says Dr. Muswa. “They're not equipped to handle a normal flu season, like having isolation wards/quarantine wards.'
Clause 3 of Article 23 of the Law of Prisons and detention centres states that, the Ministry of Justice, with the assistance of the Ministry of Health, should take necessary measures to implement standards in prisons and detention centres concerning the floor space, residential quarters, amount of light in the rooms, ventilation and heating, and other relevant issues
Handwashing Facility: 100% of the prisoners interviewed have mentioned that they all have access to handwashing facilities and use soap for handwashing. There are no specific restrictions in using bath and handwashing facilities in the prison
53% of men have mentioned that they have learnt about the disease from visiting family members. Women didn't mention that they learnt from their visiting family members. This is mainly due to lock downs and travel restrictions imposed by the government, where women's visitors who supposed to come from different provinces couldn't make it to the visiting hours. This is one of the concerns expressed by female prisoners.
100% of women have learnt from Jail Warden, where as it is about 73% among men   100% of women have learnt from Mass Media/Television, where as it is about 87% among men. Both men and women prison has television in their recreation room.
Almost everyone interviewed mentioned that there is no physical distance or spacing observed among the prisoners while having their meals or in the prison yard
Only 73% of men and 100% of women mentioned that there is screening facility for COVID 19 i.e. temperature check using Infra Red Thermometer.
Ever since the lock down, the relatives and friends visiting the prisoners is drastically reduced. Only 20% of men informed that the visitors are still making to see them. 100% of women said that there are no visitors in past one week to see them.
Tamana Farewar, Zone Manager for the Afghanistan Women's Chamber of Commerce and Industry  ( AWCCI ) , designed an initiative to help women led businesses adapt to the crisis. She and her colleagues conducted a week long training on digital marketing for 20 women entrepreneurs in Afghanistan's Balkh Province, as well as helped develop their businesses' online presence and product delivery systems.
UNAMA reiterates that the best way to protect civilians from conflict and the impact of COVID 19 is to stop the fighting. It calls on all parties to the conflict in Afghanistan to immediately respond to the recent call by the UN Secretary General for a global ceasefire1, so that the necessary focus and resources can be directed to provide the required humanitarian response to COVID 19. Bringing an end to the fighting would protect civilians from conflictrelated harm and would allow healthcare and other humanitarian workers to carry out their activities safely and without undue restrictions, thereby providing preventive and protective measures during the COVID 19 pandemic.
Unless serious containment measures are enforced and adhered to throughout the country, the ministry anticipates that as many as 25 million Afghans will be infected with the coronavirus, leading to 110,000 deaths.
As the infections go up with the spread of the virus in densely populated Kabul, there is a acute shortage of resources for COVID 19 tests, as well as isolation and treatment facilities, begin to emerge more prominently as serious challenges across the country.
Despite shortages of necessary PPEs, the first responders are on duty. The country's Health Minister Ferozuddin Feroz said on April 18, “that around 50% of the public sector doctors are engaged in fighting COVID 19 while efforts are underway to convince more to come to the frontline.'
Afghanistan has also experienced the biggest deterioration in the region driven by an increasing homicide rate, growing weapons imports, increasing numbers of refugees and internally displaced people and a weaker commitment to UN peacekeeping funding.
Kabul region had the highest proportion  ( 46.4% )  of COVID 19 positive among participants aged 5 17 years. It was followed by East region  ( 32.4% ) , West region  ( 24.5% ) , South region  ( 24.4% ) , North region  ( 23% ) , Central region  ( 21% ) , Southeast region  ( 17.6% )  and the proportion of IgG and IgM positive was the lowest in the Central highland region  ( 14.6% ) .
The preventive measures should be lifted gradually step by step according to WHO guideline.
With COVID 19, the returns of children has increased – including those who now decide to come back out of fear of staying in Iran, and out of the financial incapacity to pay for health care, the fees for health care having only been removed for Afghans officially registered as refugees in Iran
If disease control policies continue, the health system can control the level of morbidity of disease. Otherwise, the rate of hospitalization and the need for ventilator for patients will be increased and subsequently the health system should bear its high burden.
The number of people facing a food crisis or emergency has increased from over 10.2 million in September 2019 to over 10.8 million in April 2020, including over 3.4 million people in emergency acute food insecurity  ( IPC Phase 4 ) .
Representatives from Balkh said they have bi weekly meetings; other provinces such as Kapisa, Khost, and Parwan noted there is no proper coordination and meeting in place between community and service providers.
Climbing rates of household debt will continue to make it harder for the most vulnerable to access safe and sufficient drinking water, as well as soap for handwashing, especially those living in informal settlements who mostly purchase water from commercial vendors due to the lack of municipal infrastructure.
People's daily lives are painfully restrained, not only by war and insecurity but also by the lack of education, especially for girls, the lack of financial resources, and lack of job opportunities. And by a government that has no strategy in place to fight the root causes.
Urban areas of Herat, Kandahar, Daykundi, Nangahar and Balkh face a food crisis  ( IPC Phase 3 )  as a result of below average labour opportunities and above average food prices linked to COVID 19  related restrictions. Precipitation in the 2020 2021 rainy season is currently forecast to be significantly below average, which could affect wheat production in 2021.
They said that even though they were respectful and aware of the importance of social distancing measures still they have suffered from less opportunity to be with their friends and from social isolation.
During the lockdown time, girls and boys in Afghanistan said that their plans to hang out with friends and relatives have been upended due to social distancing measures.
More than half  ( 54.2% )  said that missing out the school curricula and falling behind in class during the outbreak stressed them to a large extent. Other children  ( 72.1% )  are stressed to a large extent by missing out the school year and graduation. Children are also stressed by the fact that they were not able to say goodbye to their friends  ( 54.2% ) .
IOM is actively supporting the Ministry of Public Health  ( MoPH )  and WHO in addressing preparedness and emergency coordination actions through its Cross Border Return, Migration Health and Displacement Tracking Matrix  ( DTM )  Units.
The Protection Unit completed case management assessments for 70 PSN cases in Takhar, Ghor, Kandahar, Kunduz, Sar i Pul, Nimroz, Kabul, Faryab, and Balkh, including 45 specific situations, 6 persons with serious medical condition, 5 separated or unaccompanied children, 5 single parents, 4 children at risk, 2 women at risk, 2 elderly persons at risk, and 1 person with a disability. In addition, COVID 19 protection monitoring assessments were conducted for 87 cases all of whom were sensitized on prevention measures.
Afghanistan is among a sub set of fragile countries , with a weak health system, and underlying vulnerabilities, the people of Afghanistan, are facing extreme consequences from COVID 19.10 Due to its weak health system and limited capacity to deal with major disease outbreaks, Afghanistan is likely to be significantly affected directly from the COVID 19 and indirectly resulting from the negative socio economic impacts.
The lockdown measures have resulted in closures of sections of each city, increased number of checkpoints and/or imposition of movement limitations.
The effects of the lockdown coupled with one of the weakest health systems in the world – Afghanistan has just 0.3 doctors per 1,000 people – means malnourished and sick children are much less likely to get the lifesaving treatment they need to survive.
The country has a meagre testing capacity, with 42,273 people have been tested so far, suggesting a high level of undetected population infection.
We are now integrating  ( S ) GBV awareness and responses in the work of the COVID 19 outreach teams of Cordaid and our Afghan partners in several Afghan provinces, notably Kabul and Herat. We do this in close collaboration with the Provincial Women's Network. Those teams whose main focus is to reduce the spread of the virus, are now in the process of taking stock of and addressing SGBV risks and realities', Kwakkenbos continues.
Kwakkenbos, who has a long track record in gender equality activism and feminism and who used to defend her cause by traveling between The Hague, New York, Kabul, Juba and other places in pre corona days, warns that more is needed to help societies in Afghanistan and elsewhere, deal with the  ( S ) GBV surge related to COVID 19 measures. Financially but also in terms of political commitment. “The long term impact of girls not being able to go to school, of women being denied liberties and forced to stay inside, of the wounds of gender based violence, cannot be overestimated', she claims. “Yet, time and again we see that  ( S ) GBV in crisis settings is not ranking very high on the international and national agendas. It is overshadowed by the focus on short term solutions. Addressing and changing this is part and parcel – and a very frustrating and tiresome part – of being a feminist', she concludes.
Out of 213 interviewed, only 19% have mentioned that they are direct contact with confirmed COVID 19 patient. Whereas it is 59% among the health workers directly working on COVID 19 confirmed patients • Only 37% of those who worked on COVID 19 were present while doing Aerosol generating procedure  ( AGP )  • 55% of the health workers who are working on COVID 19 directly, have mentioned that they have direct contact with the environment where the confirmed COVID 19 patient was cared for. • 39% of the health professionals working on COVID 19 have to attend to other normal functions in the hospital or have their own private practice, where as it is 15% only for overall survey responders
In Afghanistan, due to the high security risks aid workers are exposed to on a daily basis,to the level of trauma experienced, the repeated hearing of traumatic stories from beneficiaries, colleagues, and friends, and the continued intensity of the conflict, there is an increased likelihood for staff to develop post traumatic stress related disorders such as vicarious trauma or other affective disorders including chronic stress, anxiety and depression.
Respondents' education attainment levels varied between different intended destinations. Those aiming to reach countries with  in the EU had significantly higher levels of completed education. Twenty seven per cent of Afghan migrants intending to migrate to the EU had completed a bachelor's degree or high er and 35 per cent completed high school. Of the potential migrants planning to migrate to the Islamic Republic of Iran, only 1 per cent had completed a bachelor's degree or higher and 42 per cent had not completed any education, signifying lower levels of educational attainment among those intend  ing to migrate to the Islamic Republic of Iran compared to those looking to migrate to the EU.
Over half of all respondents  ( 58% )  reported that their personal income in the last six months was insuf  ficient to meet their monthly expenses, indicating that they were either underemployed, daily or seasonally employed or that the potential migrant did not earn enough to meet his or her families' needs.
Strengthening contact tracing and to utilized the support of all related sectors including private health sector on case detection, sample collection and referral of the cases; use of school for contact tracing  ( performance based payment ) ; electronic data collection on COVID 19 case findings into Flexi Feedback; enhance the lab capacity  ( establish COVID 19 diagnostic labs at the regions and provinces, capacity building of diagnostic labs for public and private labs at the provincial levels, and providing the required equipment and supply for the diagnostic labs )
Improvement of health care service coverage for COVID 19 patients from village to national level: Home base care  ( for mild and moderate cases )  by the mobile health teams and public and private clinics; Hospital based care  ( for severe and critical cases ) ; to prepare of national, regional, provincial hospitals and CHCs and private hospitals for severe and critical cases; to strengthen the Intensive Care Units  ( ICUs )  for critical cases; capacity building of health care workers  ( advanced skills ) ; and continuation of other health care packages particularly maternal and child care.
Preparedness for the winters season: Identify vulnerable areas where the roads and transportation system are blocked during the winter; provision of oxygen machines and 14 ventilators  ( at district level )  and establishment of oxygen production factory  ( at provincial level ) ; provision of medicine and primary health care services  ( Sehatmandi project )  for COVID 19; provision of strategic and essential medicine for primary health services and COVID 19 patients  ( the health centers run by MOPH ) ; encouraging and implementing preventive measures at the national and local levels.
Recommendations :Change in the lockdown/movement restriction measures: Relaxing the lockdown/movement restrictions measures based on WHO recommendations; gradual opening of schools and educational institutions  ( for instances, only secondary and high school or two to three days per week; availability of active surveillance; availability and implementation of case detection guideline in the schools; clear guideline for contact tracing ) ; resuming restaurants and wedding halls activities based on MOPH guidelines  ( for instance maximum participants should not be exceed more than 200 guests and keeping social distance of 2 meter between the tables ) ; gradual resumption of other construction and developmental projects.
Transporting children has a higher cost – as a result of COVID 19 each car transports half of the number of children to allow space in between passengers. This means children and their families pay not 1,000 Afghanis, but 2,000 Afghanis. The price has doubled due to the pandemic.
This  ( discrimination )  demonstrates that returnees face significant stigma exposing them to threats in their own homes or communities because of their profile – potentially lacking the depth of social networks and trusted relationships with the wider community of other settled members, resulting in traditional protection support networks becoming threats.
Social workers do provide returnee children with two bars of soap, but they do not give families the same resources. Children were therefore told to keep the soap for themselves – and to spend more time in the sun.
Minors and their families need support, implicitly or explicitly. It is not uncommon for parents to describe their children as “frightened' since their return, “too tired' to attend school or work, feeling shame or sadness, and either more withdrawn or more aggressive than before they migrated.
It  ( Discrimination ) is also indicative of a need for alternative, community based protection mechanisms which could support the safe and effective dissemination of information in remote and/or AGE controlled areas.
Prioritize and officially recognize GBV services as an essential and lifesaving component and put in place policies and guidelines to ensure all government agencies and line ministries address GBV in their responses.
The respondents have mentioned that they receive health education, sharing of information about COVID 19 using posters and health staff are functional despite the lock downs.
In 2021, an updated common needs analysis with development actors has identified approximately 30.5 million people who need some form of social assistance in 2021  ( IPC 2+ food insecurity; 76 per cent of the population ) . Of those, 18.4 million are considered to be in humanitarian need. The rest are outside the scope of humanitarian planning and need broader assistance from development actors and the Government.
Women face unique impacts from this economic risk due to their more precarious financial position and insecure property rights and the linkages between negative coping strategies and increased risks of GBV.
An analysis of several assessment findings shows that the highest numbers of children in need of emergency education are in Kabul, Nangarhar, Hilmand, Kandahar, Kunduz, Khost, Faryab, Baghlan, Paktika, Hirat, Uruzgan, Balkh, Takhar, Badghis, and Jawzjan provinces.
Clearance must become a higher priority for humanitarians and be linked more closely to development and peace actors. The removal of explosive items is a practical and achievable step towards reducing the number of child casualties and is easily scaled up to ensure a more extensive reach anti personnel landmines of an improvised nature and explosive remnants of war   the devices which cause the majority of child casualties   alongside this work.
The reasons for low access to health facilities during COVID 19 days and the lockdowns are fear of increased Infections among people
Underlying vulnerabilities combined with current lockdown measures affected the mobility of humanitarian organizations, delaying assistance, and service delivery
In none of the target locations educational programmes are provided through National or private channels. In some areas where children have access to TV and electricity, they do not have access to the TV channels providing educational programmes or even they do not have awareness about any kind of such initiations in their respective provinces; neither children nor parents/teachers have any information as well.
Children are deprived of learning opportunities since March 2020 which is putting most of the children at risk of dropping out from schools; child marriage; child labour  ( as in village level lock down is not that much strict as cities level ) ; mental torture and being victims of physical punishment at home.
Norwegian Refugee Council provides access to education services through three major programmatic components  CBE, ALP and EFPR1 targeting 16,640 children including 50% girls in CBE and ALP classes and 25,200 children  ( 80% host communities' children and 20% OOSC displaced children )  under EFPR.
Information on both the COVID 19 pandemic and prevention measures are disseminated through traditional media  ( television and radio ) , which are presumed to be the most accessible for most urban and rural populations
Majority of the respondents indicated an informal way of seeking help when they face some form of violence: 123 respondents would seek help from a family member, followed by, NGO  ( 77 respondents ) , community leader  ( 38 respondents ) ; friends  ( 36 respondents )  and police  ( 15 respondents ) .
Livelihoods: To mitigate the financial loss, respondents indicated that they sold their household assets and have consumed livestock for household subsistence. Thirty nine respondents  ( 15.4% women and 84.6% men )  sold household assets, and forty two respondents  ( 23.8% women and 76.4% men )  have consumed livestock to mitigate food shortage challenges. While these assets are serving as a coping mechanism, respondents will lose assets, contributing to household long term livelihood impacts.
Around 76,000 people have been tested.
Afghanistan is prone to a number of natural disasters such as earthquakes, flooding, and landslides. The COVID 19 outbreak comes against the backdrop of the Spring flood season increasing the vulnerabilities to communities who are already facing natural disasters.
When asked to prioritize their three top needs for their households, majority of respondents identified food as number one priority, with 198  ( 47% women and 53% men )  identifying food as their top priority; followed by cash and health care, prioritized by 204 respondents  ( 43.6% women and 56.4% men ) , and 193 respondents  ( 47.7% women and 52.3% men )  respectively.
Out of the 26 respondents who prioritized shelter, 61.5% are women, and 38.5% are men.
Providing essential livelihood, food, and IGA support and strengthening access to health services, including SRH services, and enhancing protection, and GBV mitigation mechanism is crucial.
Interventions must seek to identify the needs of the most vulnerable i.e., women, girls, persons with disabilities refugees, and IDPs, and ensure their representation and participation through a community led process. Engaging men and boys during the COVID 19 response are crucial to mitigate unhealthy masculine behaviors and support positive male roles in the crisis.
Inter Cluster Coordinator Team  ( ICCT )  and Humanitarian Country Team  ( HCT )  should Request the clusters and encourage partners to integrate the Rapid Gender Analysis findings in their planning and response and develop a matrix to track the key actions to be taken by the clusters.
Encourage engagements of community and religious leaders to provide community based protection and support for women and girls at risk of gender based and domestic violence.
Provide Personal Protective Equipment  ( PPE )  and other essential materials to GBV responders to ensure they can safely and effectively carry out their work.
Collaborate with government economic and financial sectors to facilitate safety nets and social protection, especially for women and men daily labourer who lost their income and jobs due to COVID 19.
34,000 polio surveillance volunteers engaged in surveillance, case identification and contact tracing by Health Cluster.
34,000 polio surveillance volunteers have been engaged in surveillance, case identification and community contact tracing activities. 8,954 polio surveillance volunteers have been trained on raising COVID 19 awareness, clinical diagnosis, case identification and contact tracing. With the re starting of polio campaigns, some of these staff are now returning to their core activities while continuing COVID 19 related community engagement.
537,011 people have been screened at points of entry by Health Cluster partners
To enhance the reporting and data management capacity of the Provincial Public Health Directors  ( PPHD ) , IOM has deployed over 300 staff as well as donated IT equipment to PPHDs in Hirat, Nangarhar, Nimroz and Kandahar provinces
Provision of primary care continues through Mobile Health Teams  ( inclusive of routine vaccinations, treatment and screening services )  however expansion is required as the number of people seeking health care at static facilities has dropped  ( for fear of COVID 19 transmission ) .
According to the UN, the number of people experiencing severe levels of acute food insecurity increased from 13.9 million in November 2019 to approximately 16.9 million people, representing 42 percent of Afghanistan's population, in November 2020.
The main driver of deteriorating food security conditions is the economic impacts of the COVID 19 pandemic, according to the HNO, which notes that approximately 55 percent of households surveyed for the 2020 Seasonal Food Security Assessment reported loss of employment during 2020, while nearly 60 percent reported reduced income.
A total of 6,813 returnees, IDPs and people from host communities were reached with emergency outpatient health services and 4,861 children were vaccinated to protect against polio and measles.
In response to the violence, the Afghanistan National Disaster Management Authority and local officials coordinated the delivery of food baskets and safe drinking water to IDPs in Helmand and Kandahar, while relief organizations, including USG partners, distributed cash and food assistance, shelter commodities, and water, sanitation, and hygiene  ( WASH )  items to affected households across all three provinces, reaching 13,000 IDPs between November 30 and December 6.
Divided territorial control, instability, and weak governance in Afghanistan continue to hinder the provision of humanitarian aid.
The COVID 19 pandemic has negatively affected the provision and utilization of essential health care services in Afghanistan due to COVID 19 related movement restrictions, lack of medical supplies and personal protective equipment, and community reluctance to visit health facilities.
Hospital admissions and referrals decreased by nearly 25 percent from April to June 2020 compared to the same period in 2019, while surgical procedures decreased by approximately 33 percent, according to WHO
In addition, the rate of routine vaccinations for women and children younger than two years of age declined during the year. As a result, WHO projects that mortality from treatable and vaccinepreventable health conditions may increase in 2021.
UN partners have provided hygiene kits and medical equipment to frontline health workers, deployed mobile health teams, and supported risk communication and community engagement activities in 25 of Afghanistan's 34 provinces.
United States Government partners provide emergency shelter for newly displaced people, as well as shelter repair kits, transitional shelter, and multipurpose cash assistance to support the housing needs of IDP and host community populations. Partners also conduct trainings to improve preparedness for natural hazards
Continuation of all health services – including primary health care for vulnerable people – and community engagement to combat misinformation and fear are critical. Messaging on the safe return to essential health services, vaccination, and emphasising home based care are particularly important.
• 1,304 NFI kits distributed across 6 provinces to families at risk from COVID 19 by ES NFI partners.
12,807 IEC materials distributed across 9 provinces by ES NFI partners.
596,399 people in 16 provinces reached with ES NFI awareness raising sessions on prevention of COVID 19 by ES NFI partners.
More than 29,500 people at the Islam Qala border crossing, 129,433 people at the Milak crossing and 16,100 people at the Torkham border crossing benefitted from WASH facility maintenance and the provision of water by Wash Partners.
597,232 people traced through Health Cluster surveillance systems since the start of the crisis.
• 8,954 polio surveillance volunteers trained on raising COVID 19 awareness, clinical diagnosis, case identification and contact tracing by Health Cluster.
The security situation in the west remained unstable with reports of fighting and military operations in Hirat, Farah and Ghor provinces
The Torkham border crossing between Afghanistan and Pakistan was reportedly closed to civilian movement on 21 November due to tension and unconfirmed reports of gunfire in the vicinity.
As of 28 March, Interagency assessment teams identified 1,323 people affected by conflict to receive humanitarian assistance in the coming days in Balkh, Faryab, Sar e Pul, Samangan and Jawzjan provinces.
Fighting between Afghan National Security Forces  ( ANSF )  and a non state armed group  ( NSAG )  continued in Hilmand, Kandahar, Uruzgan and Zabul provinces
Armed clashes between Afghan National Security Forces ( ANSF )  and an non state armed group ( NSAG )  intensified in Balkh, Faryab, Sar e Pul, Jawzjan and Samangan provinces. The ongoing fighting and insecurity continued to hamper the movements of civilians and humanitarian activities along roads connecting provincial capital to district centres across the north.
This week  [   ( 11 – 17 January 2021 )   ] , 1,960 people displaced by conflict received humanitarian assistance in Kabul, Paktya, Logar and Khost provinces. Also, 9,296 people received cash assistance for winter in Bamyan, Daykundi and Maidan Wardak provinces.
Interagency assessment teams identified 1,092 people affected by conflict to receive humanitarian assistance in the coming days in Faryab, Jawzjan and Sar e Pul provinces. Also, 462 people affected by conflict received cash assistance and hygiene supplies in Mazar e Sharif city of Balkh province.
A total of 6,599 returnees, IDPs and people from host communities were reached with emergency outpatient health services and 9,670 children were vaccinated to protect them against polio and measles.
MoWA and MoPH are engaged in door to door awareness raising, the Ministry of Information and Culture is also disseminating information using TV and other media. The Ministry of Hajj and Religious Affairs is also playing a role, advising people to avoid large health gathering in Mosques and to conduct prayer at home to encourage social distancing.
WFP Country Strategy Country Strategic Plan  ( 2018 2022 )  Total CSP Requirement  ( in USD )  : 1 billion Total Allocated Contributions  ( in USD )  : 509.84m Oct. 2020 –Mar. 2021 Funding Requirements  ( in USD )  : 85.54m
The economic impacts of Covid 19 in Afghanistan, resulting from a national lockdown and other accompanying public health measures, severely disrupted trade and commerce and limited access for the most vulnerable to humanitarian assistance and services.
The first death from COVID 19 was confirmed on 22 March in Balkh Province involving a man with no travel history outside the country.
Over the past six months at least 40 schools have been attacked, with reports as high as sixty schools attacked or burnt down in 23 provinces and 400 schools closed due to conflict and fighting across the country
With deep and widespread poverty and continuing security and political uncertainties, the World Bank estimated COVID 19 to have a strong negative impact on Afghanistan's economy.
The nominal retail price of diesel in Mazar e Sharif was maximum in September 2020 and is minimum in January 2021.
Girls have been particularly affected by more limited access to smartphones and internet at home and freedom of movement limitations meaning they are not able to travel to provincial or district centres to access the internet and download materials.
The nominal retail price of diesel in hirat was maximum in September 2020 and is minimum in December 2020.
The 12 May 2020 attack on mothers, newborns, and healthcare staff at Sad Bistar Hospital in Kabul is an extreme but relevant example of the disregard showed for International Humanitarian Law and human life. While this attack is particularly heinous, deliberate assaults on health care in Afghanistan have increased overall since 2017; 18 incidents impacting healthcare personnel and facilities were recorded in the first quarter of 2020 alone.
As of 25 March, MoPH data shows that 56,226 people across all 34 provinces in Afghanistan are confirmed to have had COVID 19.
Recommendations to Donors: • increase funding for food security and nutrition programmes, as well as livelihoods support • support the widespread use of cash interventions, including cash for protection, education and shelter • provide additional immediate and long term flexible funding in order to address the secondary impacts of Covid 19
The nominal retail price of cooking oil in Mazar e sharif was maximum in Janurary 2021 and was minimum in September 2020.
With support from State/PRM, UNHCR provides protection assistance to refugees and refugee returnees, IDPs, and other vulnerable populations in Afghanistan. Additionally, USG NGO and UN partners support mental health and psychosocial support  ( MHPSS )  programs, including individual counseling, activities to support development of coping skills, and safe healing and learning spaces for children.
Of the total screened, 230 presumptive TB cases were identified. Samples from the presumptive cases were tested through GeneXpert and normal microscopy at the designated labs in coordination with the National TB Control Programme, 3 persons were confirmed as positive TB cases.
In 2020, humanitarians in Afghanistan reached 11.75 million people with some form of assistance across all 401 districts, exceeding planned reach. Of those reached, 4.68 million people were provided with COVID 19 specific assistance.
The Milak  ( Nimroz )  and Islam Qala Dogharoon  ( Hirat )  crossings with Iran are officially open to commercial traffic and movement of documented Afghanistan nationals.
The newly revised Afghanistan Humanitarian Response Plan  ( HRP )  for 2018  2021 identifies 18.4 million people in humanitarian need in 2021, as a result of COVID 19, ongoing conflict and natural disasters
Accessibility survey in Norwegian Refugee Council coverage Area focused on three main components  access to electricity and television; access to alternative education programmes through Television and access to technological equipment.
On the other hand, Norwegian Refugee Council also measured its beneficiaries access to TV and TV programmes which unfortunately the results stand at 77% inaccessibility and only 23% of the population have television at their homes, but none of them neither have access to and awareness about Marif TV nor to any other educational TV channels in their areas.
As these multiple crises continue, protection issues are likely to worsen as families adopt negative coping strategies, including child labour, early marriage and decreased food consumption.
While disruptions to education have been the daily reality for generations of children in Afghanistan, lockdowns and school closures in response to the pandemic impacted more than seven and a half million girls' and boys' access to learning
In addition, throughout the prolonged closure, a high number of schools were used as part of the Covid 19 response, for example, as testing centres, or for medical treatment, quarantine or other related purposes.
As children and teachers return to school it is even more urgent to implement protective measures such as physical distancing, reduced class sizes and teaching hours, and improving WASH facilities.
Caregivers have reported to Norwegian Refugee Council losing interest in education and having to send their children to work.
The Covid 19 pandemic has only further strained Afghanistan's already struggling public services and displacement affected communities face additional barriers in accessing government services.
Respondents also witnessed a loss of total income due to job loss, 43 respondents  ( 60.5% men and 39.5% women )  said they are jobless because of the pandemic. The loss of income has shifted household dynamics, both men and women, are stressed due to financial losses and borrowing money, spending savings, and selling household assets to make ends meet.
The number of people dependent on government or/and organizational aid also increased from 32  ( 81.2% women and 18.8% men )  to 46  ( 56.5% women and 43.5% men )  due to the pandemic. The increase on aid was witnessed among men respondents only.
Regarding financial decision making, 127  ( 45.6% women and 54.3% men )  respondents said both wife and husband make the decision together, while 118  ( 37.3% women and 63.6% men )  said husbands, and 22 people  ( 86.4% and 13.6% men )  said wives make the decision. Additional 48 people  ( 77% women and 23% men )  said others such as father, son, in laws, and elders in the house make the financial decision.
Only 63% of Afghans have access to basic drinking water, and only 39% have access to basic sanitation. The situation is even dire in displacement and refugee settlement, who have limited access to WASH.42 57% of displaced households have insufficient or barely enough water. More than 65% of returnees live in settlements that do not have access to any WASH services, while others stay with host communities where services are already over stretched. Women and people with disabilities have even lower access to WASH facilities
Line department representatives said there is a critical need to engage the community and religious leaders to curb misinformation among community members.
Out of 161 women respondents, 108  ( 67% )  said they are allowed by their family to visit health facilities only accompanied by someone. Only 52 women  ( 33 % )  can go to health facilities on their own, and these respondents are mostly from the urban centres of Herat, Ghazni, Kabul, and Kandahar.
( 08 14 Nov 2020 ) In 2020, 472,184 patients have been reached by IOM's Migration Health Unit in Nimroz, Helmand, Ghor, Herat, Kandahar and Nangarhar provinces with basic health care services  outpatient consultations for general illnesses, maternal, child and neo natal health care, reproductive health, family planning services and COVID 19 response. This programming is supported by the United Kingdom's FCDO, the Governments of Japan, Canada, Germany, DG ECHO, the Afghanistan Humanitarian Fund and the United States' Bureau for Population, Refugees and Migration  ( BPRM ) .
( 25 February 2021 ) The health and socio economic impacts of the COVID19 pandemic have seen the number of people in need almost double in the past year alone.
( 25 February 2021 )  Afghanistan now has a test positivity rate – positive tests as a percentage of total tests – of close to 17 per cent, suggesting overall under testing of potential cases
( 19 25 February 2021 ) During the past week a total of 9,498 patients were served by IOM's 7 mobile health teams, inclusive of 3,846 outpatient consultations, health education sessions for 9,498 persons and psychosocial counselling sessions for 1,464 patients.
( 26 February   04 March 2021 ) During the past week a total of 10,153 patients were served by IOM's 7 mobile health teams, inclusive of 3,743 outpatient consultations, health education sessions for 10,153 persons and psychosocial counselling sessions for 830 patients.
( 19 25 February 2021 ) In 2021, 100,927 patients have been served by IOM's Migration Health Unit in Nimroz, Herat, Kandahar and Nangarhar provinces with basic health care  outpatient consultations, maternal, child and neo natal health care, reproductive health, family planning and COVID 19 response. Programming is supported by the UK's FCDO, DG ECHO, CERF, and the United States' Bureau for Population, Refugees and Migration  ( BPRM ) .
To support vulnerable farmers like Mahmood, FAO provided a full wheat package to 37,200 marginal and food insecure farming households across 16 provinces in Afghanistan, supported by funding from the Afghanistan Humanitarian Fund – OCHA's pooled fund
( 15 21 Nov 2020 ) IOM's Protection programme has supported 3,892 undocumented returnee households comprising at least one person with specific needs  ( PSN )  in 2020 through the provision of timely information, facilitating safe and dignified access to services, and provision of assistance including cash to mitigate identified protection risks and avoid resorting to negative coping mechanisms when referrals pathways are exhausted.
( 29 November–05 December 2020 )  During the past week a total of 14,260 patients were served by IOM's 7 mobile health teams, inclusive of 3,697 outpatient consultations, health education sessions for 10,563 persons and psychosocial counselling sessions for 973 patients
( 29 Jan 04 Feb 2021 ) IOM provided post arrival humanitarian assistance to 808  ( 5% )  undocumented Afghans at the IOM Transit Centers in Herat and Nimroz during the past week.
( 05 11 March 2021 ) During the past week a total of 9,767 patients were served by IOM's 7 mobile health teams, inclusive of 3,492 outpatient consultations, health education sessions for 9,767 persons and psychosocial counselling sessions for 1,439 patients.
( 12 18 March 2021 )  During the past week a total of 9,707 patients were served by IOM's 7 mobile health teams, inclusive of 3,787 outpatient consultations, health education sessions for 9,707 persons and psychosocial counselling sessions for 1,424 patients.
Since 01 January 2020, the total number of undocumented returnees from Iran is 800,109 individuals. IOM provided post arrival humanitarian assistance to 1,052  ( 6% )  undocumented Afghans at the IOM Transit Centers in Herat and Nimroz during the past week.
( 08 14 Nov 2020 ) IOM's Protection programme has supported 3,782 undocumented returnee households comprising at least one Person with Specific Needs  ( PSN )  in 2020 through the provision of timely information, facilitating safe and dignified access to services, and provision of assistance including cash to mitigate identified protection risks and avoid negative coping mechanisms when referrals pathways are exhausted.
Ongoing clashes between the ANSF (  Afghanistan National Security Forces )  and an non state armed group  ( NSAG )  resulted in the displacement of 1,000 people into Surkh Rod and Jalalabad city in Nangarhar province.
The security situation in the east remained unstable and fighting continued in Hesarak, Sherzad and Khogyani districts in Nangarhar province.
As of 28 March, Some 5,705 people in Pul e Khumri district, Baghlan province and 4,200 people from remote villages in Imam Sahib district, Kunduz province were displaced to safer districts due to ongoing fighting.
In Uruzgan province, sporadic armed clashes were ongoing in Dehrawud and Gizab districts.
The nominal retail price of cooking oil in Mazar e sharif was maximum in October 2020 and was minimum in September 2020
The nominal retail price of wheat flour in Kabul was maximum in October 2020 and was minimum in September 2020.
During the reporting period, 13,482 people received humanitarian assistance   among them are 1,603 newly displaced people, 49 people affected by natural disaster and vulnerable people in host communities. In addition, 847 undocumented returnees and 10,983 vulnerable people received their first and second round of food assistance under the COVID 19 response.
As of 28 March, Interagency assessment teams identified 63 people affected by heavy rainfalls to receive humanitarian assistance in the coming days in Fayzabad district, Badakhshan province.
As of 28 March, 7,406 vulnerable people received winter assistance in Badakhshan and Baghlan provinces.
Interagency assessment teams identified 1,092 IDPs to receive humanitarian assistance in the coming days in Bamyan and Khost provinces. A needs assessment is ongoing for 4,830 reported IDPs in Bamyan, Khost and Kapisa provinces.
Potato: The average price increased by 0.8% compared to the third week of November. The increase occurred in: Hilmand  ( 33% )  and Zabul  ( 7% ) . The main reasons for the increase was supply shortfalls. Meanwhile prices decreased only in Kandahar  ( 5% ) , due to sustained supply to the market. There was no change in the price of potato in the rest of the provinces
Pulses: The average price increased by 0.2% compared to the third week of November but remained 21% higher than 14 March. Prices increased in: Takhar  ( 6% ) , Bamyan ( 3% ) , Zabul  ( 2% ) , Badakhshan, Nangarhar and Urozgan  ( 1% ) , due to a temporary supply shortfall. Meanwhile prices decreased in: Kandahar ( 3% ) , Hilmand  ( 2% )  and Nimroz  ( 1% ) , Prices decreased due to the reduced level of pulses being used as a result of the availability of locally produced vegetables. Prices were highest in Hilmand, Nimroz, Kandahar, and Bamyan  ( AFN 122, 114, 106, and 105 per kg, respectively ) , due to the use of high quality red beans. Prices were lowest in Takhar, Sari Pul and Kunar  ( AFN 68, 72 and 72 per kg, respectively ) .
A total of 454 people who displaced from Bala Buluk, Khak e Safed, Pushtrod, Gulistan, Pur Chaman, Lash e Juwayn and Shibkoh districts by conflict were assessed in Farah province.
WFP provided 233,049 people with food and cash to help them through the winter. This included a four month supply of food and cash for IDPs, people affected by natural hazards and returnees from November 2020 to February 2021. Also, humanitarians reached 55,265 IDPs with winter assistance.
Rice  ( High Quality ) : The average price increased by 0.2% compared to the third week of November, and remained 9% higher than 14 March. The increase occurred in: Baghlan and Kunduz  ( 6% ) , Kandahar and Paktika  ( 3% ) , Ghazni and Ghor  ( 1% ) , due to high demand and decreased supply. Meanwhile the price decreased in Wardak ( 8% )  and Urozgan  ( 3% ) , due to sustained supply . Prices where highest in Bamyan, Daykundi, Badakhshan and Panjsher  ( AFN 105, 100, 98 and 98 per kg, respectively ) , as all of them are most remote areas with high transportation cost. Meanwhile prices were lowest in Urozgan, Kandahar, Ghazni and Hirat  ( AFN 72, 77, 77 and 78 per kg, respectively ) .