nlp-thedeep/humsetbias huggingface dataset:
The recent Whole of Afghanistan  ( WoA )  Assessment has found that the percentage of people with an unpaid debt burden in Afghanistan has spiked to 84 per cent for displaced households  ( up by 13 per cent from 2019 )  and to 93 per cent for non displaced households  ( up by 24 per cent from 2019 ) .
Lack of access to education affects vulnerable children's immediate wellbeing and medium to long term resilience, as well as future earning potential and contribution to society.
At the heart of tensions in Afghanistan are power structures and the distribution of power; achieving ethnic balance; gender inequity; and friction between the outward looking modernizing elements and the inward looking conservative ones.
In addition, displacement and negative coping strategies for vulnerable households prevent children from enrolling and attending school, especially in hard to reach areas, and gender and cultural norms further restrict access for girls.
Approximately 33 per cent of schools  ( nearly 6,000 schools that serve 2.3 million students )  lack water and WASH facilities that are critical to keep children safe from COVID 19.
Qualified female teachers are scarce in remote and hard to reach areas because of the lack of girls' enrolment past the early grades. This further limits access for girls whose families will not allow male teachers to teach their daughters, making the issue a cyclical one.
In addition, negative coping strategies for vulnerable households prevent children from enrolling and attending school in favour of employment that contributes to household income.
Shelter needs are central to people's immediate survival and wellbeing, risking their safety, security and health through exposure to the harsh weather conditions or overcrowding.
The WoA Assessment confirmed again that the vast majority  ( 86 per cent )  of those displaced longer term are either unwilling or unable to go home in the near future and 47 per cent of those people say they never intend to return to their areas of origin.
Their insecure land tenure in informal settlements on private land limits investment in shelter and infrastructure support, exposing residents to long periods of deprivation and accumulating vulnerabilities.
Urban planning challenges resulting from continuous internal displacement and unreliable water, electricity and communications, due to infrastructure underdevelopment and conflict related disruptions across the country, further compound people's needs.
Some 75 per cent of recent IDP households, 61 per cent of returnee households and 68 per cent of non recent IDP households report shelter as their second highest priority need, after food.
Many live in overcrowded urban settlements that lack basic water, sanitation and hygiene  ( WASH )  services, where the virus and associated lockdowns can wreak human, social and economic havoc.
Limited access to running water, open defecation, and the price of hygiene items all impact on inhabitants' ability to protect themselves from the spread of SARS CoV 2.
Disruption to supply chains has resulted in increased prices of staple foods across Afghanistan: wheat flour has increased by 15% 18% in price in local markets, cooking oil by 17% and rice and flour by 2% 4%  [ 8 ] . These increases will push some of the most vulnerable families into severe food shortages; low and irregular income already resulted in pervasive food insecurity before the outbreak began.
In 2020, WHO recorded 89 incidents that include direct attacks on hospitals, abductions of healthcare workers, acts of intimidation, looting of medical supplies etc.
In the first half of 2020, Health Cluster partners supported the Government to establish 12 laboratories across 7 provinces, provided the Ministry of Public health with more than 15 million medical supply items  ( including PPE for frontline health care workers )  and mobilised 34,000 polio surveillance volunteers to engage in COVID 19 surveillance, case identification and contact tracing. Health partners also focused on equipping health facilities with essential supplies and built the capacity of thousands health personnel in laboratory testing, mental health and psychosocial support  ( MHPSS ) , infection prevention and control  ( IPC )  and risk communication work.
The most frequently cited barrier to accessing humanitarian assistance was a lack of awareness about eligibility  ( 53 per cent of all shock affected households and 57 per cent of displaced households ) . Additional barriers revolve around physical issues such as the lack of access to and high cost of transport, social norms preventing women from travelling alone, security and explosive hazards.
Following the closure of schools, Education in Emergencies  ( EiE )  partners adapted education delivery modalities, supporting the Government's alternative learning pathways and reaching 54,312 children through home based learning and 75,454 children with multi  media education.
Despite having to change their approach, Nutrition Cluster partners provided out patient treatment for Severe Acute Malnutrition  ( SAM )  to 113,819 children, 302,482 children with Moderate Acute Malnutrition  ( MAM )  and 137,147 pregnant and lactating women  ( PLW )  with therapeutic supplementary feeding  ( TSF ) .
Since March, there has been a 9 per cent jump in the proportion of the population facing food acute food insecurity  ( IPC 3+ ) .
9 per cent of the total confirmed COVID 19 cases are among healthcare staff.
The Nutrition Cluster urges all parties to the conflict to ensure access to the most vulnerable provinces and people impacted by food insecurity and COVID 19. This includes ensuring humanitarian access for health and nutrition services  ( especially children under five and mothers/PLW ) .
During the reporting period, 3,997 border monitoring interviews were conducted with returnees  ( Afghanistan nationals )  at the Milak and the Spin Boldak border crossing sites, with 24,797 interviews conducted across all border crossings since the start of the crisis.
In a deteriorating trend from the beginning of the year, findings of the most recent nutrition surveys show that 26 out of 34 provinces are now within the emergency threshold for acute malnutrition.
Almost half of children under five need life saving nutrition support as do a quarter of pregnant and lactating women  ( PLW ) .
Despite the ongoing peace talks, there has been no sign of improvement in the operating environment for humanitarians with violence continuing. Interferences in the implementation of with humanitarian activities has escalated with a 140 per cent increase such incidents compared to 2019  ( Humanitarian Access Snapshot, 2020 ) .
Women, children and people with disabilities are especially vulnerable in the current health, economic, social and security context and an estimated 30.5 million people  ( >75 per cent of population )  need targeted social assistance.
The people of Afghanistan continue to face extreme consequences from the COVID 19 pandemic. In addition to underlying vulnerabilities, the health system is fragile and under resourced.
The most recent Integrated Food Security Phase Classification  ( IPC )  analysis shows the food security situation has further deteriorated during COVID 19 with an estimated 16.9 million people  ( 42 per cent of the population )  now assessed to be in crisis or emergency levels of food insecurity.
According to the Famine Early Warning Systems Network, cumulative precipitation has been below average in most provinces from mid November to early January 2021 and it shows a worrying La Nina climate outlook.
Additionally, findings of the most recent nutrition surveys show that 27 out of 34 provinces are now within the emergency threshold for acute malnutrition. Almost one in two children under five is expected to face acute malnutrition as well as a quarter of pregnant and lactating women in 2021.
UNICEF in partnership with Nutrition Cluster partners including Ministry of Public Health  ( MoPH ) , UN agencies, national and international NGOs applied necessary programmatic adaptations in order to continue nutrition programming during COVID 19 in a manner to minimize the risk of transmission of virus for both health workers and beneficiaries.
UNICEF in consultation with the Government and nutrition cluster members decreased the frequency of visits for outpatient SAM treatment services from weekly to bi weekly in all health facilities and increased the bed space to a minimum of 1.5 meters between beds in inpatient SAM services, where applicable. The required programmatic adaptations were also applied on Community Based Nutrition Programme  ( CBNP ) , from a weekly Iron Folic Acid Supplementation  ( WIFS ) , and Maternal and Infant & Young Child Nutrition  ( MIYCN )  activities to biweekly basis.
In terms of Vitamin A supplementation for the emergency affected population, UNICEF and implementing partners reached a total of 22,058 children aged 6 59 months mainly through mobile teams which represent around 30% of total target  ( 78,000 )  of 2020.
UNICEF continued to supply medical oxygen in three main regional hospitals of Herat, Balkh, and Nangarhar, benefiting a total of 2,028 critical patients  ( 1,223 male and 805 female )  confirmed with COVID 19 infection.
To ensure physical distancing measures during the COVID 19 pandemic especially between patients as well as staff at health facilities, UNICEF distributed more than 70 tents to the health facilities in Kandahar and Helmand. These provided enough social distance space for outpatient care in health facilities and helped prevent health staff and clients from infection while receiving essential RMNCAH services.
As of 31 December 2020, UNICEF provided safe drinking water to 230,000 people in 66 districts of 26 provinces against the annual target of 250,000 people while over 49,000 people accessed through emergency sanitation facilities/services against the annual target of 100,000 people.
Despite various COVID 19 related challenges in 2020, UNICEF supported the Ministry of Education  ( MoE )  through the implementation of Community Based Education  ( CBE )  in response to the immediate needs of emergency affected children, including returnees, refugees, internally displaced, and vulnerable host community children, who were unable to access public schooling due to insecurity, inadequate school infrastructure and capacity, poverty, and far distances between communities and school buildings. 157,342 children  ( 90,428 girls, representing 57 per cent of the total )  were enrolled in 4,300 CBE learning spaces.
Throughout the year, UNICEF continued capacity building activities aimed at ensuring quality delivery of Education in Emergency  ( EiE ) , and resulted in training of 4,245 volunteer teachers  ( 1,740 females )  on the standard service entry package; and sensitization of 8,187 community and School Management Shura members on the importance of education, especially girls' education and child protection.
UNICEF developed the RCCE strategy and plan, package of key COVID 19 messages, Behaviour Change Communication  ( BCC )  package  ( poster, flyer, billboards, TV and radio spots )  myths and rumours response guide in order to increase awareness of the communities on proper preventive practice.
According to MoRR/IOM, during the weeks of 13   19 December, the total number of undocumented returnees from Iran was 14,370  ( 8,287 spontaneous returnees and 6,083 deportees )  and from Pakistan was 133  ( 90 spontaneous returnees and 43 deportees ) .
Since 01 January, the total number of undocumented returnees is 838,192 individuals, including 831,696 from Iran  ( 517,956 spontaneous returnees and 313,740 deportees )  and 6,496 from Pakistan  ( 5,810 spontaneous returnees and 686 deportees ) .
The Government of Afghanistan and the UN have initiated a number of steps to prepare for the rollout of a COVID 19 vaccine across the country, including the establishment of a dedicated National Technical Working Group  ( TWG )  for COVID 19 response within the MoPH.
Women and girls also have much lower access to other basic services such as education and legal services.
During the reporting period, 9,086 women received antenatal and postnatal care through midwives deployed in Mobile Health Teams  ( MHTs ) .
35,100 pregnant and lactating women  ( PLW )  received assistance through targeted supplementary feeding programmes  ( TSFP ) , while 21,563 caregivers received Infant and Young Child Feeding  ( IYCF )  and Maternal, Infant and Young Child Nutrition  ( MIYCN )  counselling.
Since 1 March, IOM's Displacement Tracking Matrix  ( DTM )  field teams have reached more than 132,682 community leaders and influencers among host, IDP and returnee populations, including humanitarian and development partners and providers of essential services, with RCCE messaging in over 12,300 villages across 34 provinces. IOM's priority focus is on mobile and displaced people in affected areas.
Since the start of the pandemic, through support of the European Commission Humanitarian Aid Office  ( ECHO ) , WHO has delivered more than 520,000 PPE items to frontline NGO workers in Afghanistan.
Many displaced people reside precariously in urban informal settlements with insecure land rights.
While there is no overall census of female staff and volunteers working for humanitarian organisations in Afghanistan, women are, without doubt, grossly under represented in the workforce. This remains a key constraint in terms of the response's operational capacity to assess, understand and respond to the needs and concerns of women and girls. Measures are ongoing to redress this imbalance and recruit more women into humanitarian action include the hiring of husband and wife, as well as brother and sister teams.
A UN Women IRC Study of the gendered impacts of COVID 19 also found that 78 per cent of women, particularly IDP women, are experiencing adverse mental health impact from the ongoing conflict, exacerbated by COVID 19   a number that was the highest in the region according to similar studies.
According to IOM, some 4.8 million IDPs have been displaced since 2012 and have not returned to their homes.
An additional 3.9 million returnees have come back to the country since 2012 with many struggling to re enter their communities and survive.
The health and socio economic impacts of the COVID 19 pandemic have compounded the protection crisis in Afghanistan. This has pushed fragile households, who have lost their income and productive assets, to resort to negative coping strategies to make ends meet
The highest percentage of child marriage was reported in Faryab  ( 35 per cent ) , Paktya  ( 25 per cent ) , and Kunduz  ( 22 per cent )  although these figures are not likely to represent the full scale of this situation.
The provinces of highest prevalence of child labour are Farah  ( 49 per cent )  and Hilmand  ( 33 per cent ) .
Protection partners have seen rising trends of families being either requested, threatened or coerced to join armed fighting. These patterns have been witnessed in both government and non government  controlled areas and among criminal networks.
While violence against women and girls has remained underreported due to lack of adequate survivor centred services and stigma, an estimated 87 per cent of Afghan women will experience at least one form of GBV in their lifetime, with an estimated 62 per cent experiencing multiple forms.
The Oxfam briefing note highlights the difficulties women face to safely access available services, especially in rural locations, and amid COVID 19 the information highlights how the protection needs of women and girls, and GBV survivors are increasing.
Increased reports in 2020 of early and forced marriage, baddal  ( the exchange of two girls between two families ) , baad  ( giving a woman for marriage )  and coerced sexual and physical exploitation, show that the COVID 19 economic situation has also driven gendered negative coping mechanisms.
During the reporting period, Health Cluster partners continued risk communication messaging on physical distancing, vaccination and home based care.
A joint UN Women and IRC survey conducted in September revealed an increase in time spent by women and girls fetching water compared to pre COVID 19 levels, potentially increasing their risk of exposure to the virus.
ES NFI partners are encouraged to maintain a sufficient quantity of NFIs, winter cloths and blankets in their regional and provincial stocks to enable timely response to affected people in case of snow blocked roads and/or insecurity.
OCHA projected that the direction of fighting is likely to also effect Dai Qala district  ( OCHA 25/08/2020 ) ; this would likely force further people into displacement. It may increase IDP needs and cause further trauma.
Local residents indicated that, although all main roads are currently under the control of Afghan National Security Forces, routes connecting districts to Kunduz city are under threat from the Taliban and civilians are frequently subject to extortion and harassment along key routes such as the Kunduz Kabul highway  ( Salaam Times 06/08/2020 )   ( SATP 26/08/2020 ) . This will probably prevent humanitarian actors from reaching IDPs who are often in hard to reach areas.
IDPs' movement will likely encourage the spread of COVID 19 as there is a severe lack of soap and clean water sources to maintain appropriate hygiene  ( OCHA 27/08/2020 ) . Cramped camp conditions and their movement back home are likely to also contribute to COVID 19 spread.
As of April 26, an estimated 265,460 Afghan refugees had returned from Iran in 2020 according to IOM . This significant increase in the number of returnees has been largely due to the fear of COVID 19 transmission and deterioration in labor opportunities for Afghan refugees.
Levels of remittances from Iran have been declining in recent years to due poor economic conditions in Iran. Due to COVID  19 and the significant increase in Afghan returnees, levels of remittances from Iran have further declined in recent months. Levels of remittances from Gulf countries – especially the United Arab Emirates  ( UAE )  have also been declining in recent years, but no significant decreases have so far been reported due to COVID 19.
Systematic capacity building, including trainings and mentoring schemes, will need to be adequately resourced and regularly undertaken. Continued innovative approaches that encourage partners' willingness not only to ‘stay and deliver' but also to ‘enter and stay,' will be required given that operational capacity and the reach of partners is closely linked to sustained and unfettered humanitarian access, adequate and predictable resourcing from donors, and retention of necessary staff in areas where the needs are the greatest.
The first six months of 2020 saw over 44,000 people affected by sudden onset natural disasters. Approximately 19,800 people were impacted by flooding, 3,185 by landslides, nearly 900 by avalanche. 20,300 people were affected by heavy snowfall. While the number of people impacted by floods and landslides in the first half of 2020 has decreased dramatically from those affected during the same period last year  ( from 270,675 in 2019 to 22,986 in 2020 ) , the number of people impacted by heavy snowfall rose by 31 per cent in 2020  ( from 16,167 in 2019 to 21,246 in 2020 ) .
People affected by conflict and natural disaster, who are displaced and or who remain affected in their homes, continue to be exposed to risks from using unsafe water sources and unimproved sanitation facilities. The situation has affected children, in particular, with 37 per cent of displaced households reporting at least one child under five years having experienced AWD in the two weeks prior to the WOA Assessment.
Rising food prices are challenging families' access to food across the country. Prices of staple foods – wheat, wheat flour, rice, oil and pulses – have remained at elevated levels since a steep rise in mid March 2020. According to WFP's market monitoring, the average wheat flour price  ( low price & high price )  increased by 15 per cent between 14 March and 1 July, while the cost of pulses, sugar, cooking oil and rice  ( low quality )  increased by 32 per cent, 22 per cent, 40 per cent, and 21 per cent, respectively, over the same period.
Without effective systems in place, school and university closures increase learning inequalities and hurt vulnerable children and youth disproportionately, especially girls and women. To respond, inclusive quality education and the role of universities is critical to protect the socio economic stability of Herat and throughout Afghanistan.
Fighting creates both an immediate and long  lasting burden for civilians, exposing them to sudden and terrifying violence and leaving them vulnerable to unexploded ordnance, both of which generate significant trauma related needs. Afghanistan is also witnessing fighting between Non State Armed Groups  ( NSAGs )  generating new humanitarian needs, compromising access and further complicating developments over the months ahead.
In 2018 and 2019 drought affected more than two thirds of Afghanistan, devastating the agricultural sector and leaving 3.9 million people in need of food and livelihoods support. The drought unleashed a host of problems on already impoverished communities, particularly in the country's west, reducing incomes by half, debilitating people's health and causing households to engage in negative coping mechanisms – all of which have had an adverse impact on their financial, physical and psychological well being.
Where limited services do exist, people are often not able to access them because of their fears of moving around, because it is too dangerous to go, because women are not free to travel alone, because they cannot afford the cost of transport or because of the weather/ geography, especially in winter. The WOA Assessment found that almost half  ( 48 per cent )  of the shock affected households who said they couldn't reach a health centre in the three months prior to data collection, were unable to do so because they felt unsafe travelling to/ being at the health facility or couldn't get there because of a lack of transport.
As of 31 October 2019, 417 access  related incidents had been reported including 170 incidents against health personnel, assets or facilities  ( 73 of those involving violence ) . Recorded incidents do not include illegal demands of taxation, which – although widely underreported – have increased substantially in 2019 and continue to delay or derail humanitarian activities.
ES NFI partners reached 27,327 individuals with emergency shelter; 118,726 individuals with standard NFI packages; 11,335 individuals with transitional shelter support; and 58,715 individuals with shelter repair/ upgrades. 297,478 vulnerable people received heating/fuel to mitigate protection, health and other risks associated with harsh winter conditions.
Disruptions to government office operations also affected people's access to documentation. Legal counselling and assistance to obtain civil documentation  ( including Tazkeras )  were paused or scaled down due to closure of the relevant government directorates and intermittent movement restrictions during the reporting period.
According to the WOA Assessment, around a third of shock affected and displaced households  ( 30 per cent )  reported having to adopt severe or extreme negative coping strategies as a result of their struggle to meet their food needs. This proportion was higher for households in rural areas and those with high/medium debt levels.
Nutrition services have been hit particularly hard as people are reluctant to attend facilities for fear of contracting the virus. Analysis from the Ministry of Public Health's nutrition database showed a 46 per cent decrease in admissions for treatment of SAM within health centres – ‘inpatient' treatment – and a 12 per cent decrease in ‘outpatient' treatment in May 2020.
As of the end of June, more than 30,000 people were confirmed to have COVID 19 across all 34 provinces, according to official MOPH data. More than 10,000 people had recovered and close to 700 people had died.
With health personnel re directed towards the COVID 19 response and due to physical distancing requirements, polio vaccination campaigns were suspended. Some 9.9 million children are presently missing out on this critical vaccination.
Both the political and security environments have become more unstable over the past year as parties attempted to position themselves during the peace talks and election period. Low turnout and allegations of electoral irregularities regarding the 2019 presidential election have resulted in a volatile political climate. Afghanistan has also witnessed a fragmentation of the conflict with new patterns of fighting between Non State Armed Groups and between those groups and pro government forces, causing significant displacement, particularly in the country's east.
At least 11 per cent of the population is estimated to have a physical disability while an unknown number of people are suffering from mental health issues largely as a result of their constant exposure to conflict. People who have been displaced multiple times are acutely vulnerable due to their depleted financial and emotional reserves. Poor shelter and unhygienic conditions, particularly in displacement, leave people vulnerable to disease and unable to cope with Afghanistan's harsh winters.
Civilian casualties attributed to Islamic State of Khorasan  ( ISK ) /Daesh dropped in 2019 compared to 2018 when there was a spike resulting from several high profile attacks in urban areas. An average of 443 security incidents were recorded every week in the first ten months of 2019, consistent with reported incidents in 2018.
UNICEF and UNAMA as co chairs of the Country Taskforce on Monitoring and Reporting intensified their advocacy efforts for protection of children in armed conflict with Groups of Friends, UN Security Council Working Group and Members of States.
The global COVID 19 crisis is having a major impact in Afghanistan. 30,000 cases and 600 deaths have been officially recorded, with actual cases and fatalities far higher. Case numbers are currently increasing rapidly, with no sign that spread of the pandemic is yet under control.
While actual cases much higher, official COVID 19 cases exceeded 31 thousands as of end June, with cases reported in every province. Total COVID 19 fatalities are reported at 733, with a total fatality rate of 2.3 percent.
Pro Government Forces and Anti Government Elements caused a similarly high number of child casualties during the reporting period.
Millions of displaced people and returning refugees lack affordable housing.
Conflict and disasters disproportionately place people with disabilities and their families in vulnerable situations. People with disabilities are at increased risk of family separation, loss of assistive and mobility devices, and difficulties with accessing information in crisis situations.
Violations and abuses of International Humanitarian and Human Rights law continue despite advocacy by the UN, the Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement and partners, undermining the rights, well  being and safety of people in Afghanistan.
As a way forward, more resource and expertise investment is required to expand a community  based approach to mental health response in Afghanistan.
The COVID 19 emergency has seen a deterioration of protection needs and a deepening of existing vulnerabilities in Afghanistan. The Protection Cluster's estimated number of people in need was increased to 11.5 million in the mid year revision, up from 7 million at the beginning of the year, to reflect new needs driven and aggravated by the COVID 19 crisis.
Despite mounting needs for health services, partners' capacity to respond was undermined by continued attacks on health personnel and facilities.
Protection partners provided direct protection assistance and undertook referral of cases. Individual Protection Assistance  ( IPA )  and Cash for Protection assistance were scaled up.
WASH Cluster partners report challenges with attaining approvals from the appropriate line ministries to begin COVID  19 responses, resulting in delays in response. WASH partners note that line ministries are taking longer to approve non  health related COVID 19 response activities.
Considering winter and the second wave of COVID 19, there is critical need for warm clothing and winter assistance for the IDP community, specifically in the north and north east regions.
A total of 3,739 people affected by conflict received humanitarian assistance in Balkh, Faryab and Jawzjan provinces.
Similarly, there was a decline in uptake for nutrition services due to fear of contracting the COVID 19 virus – with an almost 46 per cent decrease in admissions for SAM treatment at the mid year point.
Ownership of identity documents is a key determinant of people's ability to access the limited Government services which do exist. It is estimated that 90 per cent of men but only 38 per cent of women have a Tazkera.
Across the country, displaced people report the need for shelter as one of their biggest priorities, second only to food.
Access to heating/insulation, shelter repair or transitional shelter options, particularly for those whose houses were severely damaged or destroyed due to the recent floods, remains a critical gap.
More than five million people were assisted during the drought response in 2018 19.
Data from a Rapid Communication Assessment conducted by REACH Communities Information Access, Preferences, Needs, and Habits shows 78 per cent of Key Informants  ( KIs )  reporting that women did not have the same level of access to telephones as men.
Women who are displaced, refugees, and living in conflict affected areas are particularly vulnerable.
Out of all those displaced due to conflict, only 65,500  ( 53 percent )  received humanitarian food assistance  ( food packages or cash for  food assistance ) .
From May to July 2020, around 6,000 individuals were affected by floods and flash floods, compared to around 14,000 individuals at the same time last year.
This season, area planted under wheat was lower in northern rainfed areas due to a poor start to the wet season. Similarly, yield was affected in the east and south due to above average rainfall in the maturing stages that caused rust in wheat crops. On contrary, irrigated wheat performed well throughout Afghanistan.
Due to significantly reduced income from typical income earning opportunities and remittances   as well as above average food prices   many poor households are expected to be facing consumption gaps and Crisis  ( IPC Phase 3 )  outcomes.
Similarly, the Iranian embassy in Kabul does not issue visas for ordinary Afghan citizens, including migrants. Given these strict border patrols as well as ongoing forceful repatriation, remittances from Iran are likely significantly lower than average.
These flash floods killed 145, injured 167, and affected around 12,700 impact assessments are underway.
WFP continues to plan and test alternative supply routes. This includes, transporting wheat soya blend from Europe via Latvia through Uzbekistan to Hairatan border crossing, Balkh, via sea and rail.
As part of its nutrition programme, WFP distributed 926 mt of specialized nutritious foods for 194,952 children aged 6 59 months and 76,345 PLW.
Food insecurity rose dramatically between 2014 and 2017 to a total of 13.2 million people in rural and urban areas according to the Afghanistan Living Conditions Survey 2016 2017  ( ALCS ) .
Girls and boys in Afghanistan are at an increased risk of violence at home, resulting from a variety of compounding structural, interpersonal and individual level risk factors, including the increased economic strain placed on families, stay at home orders, school closures and other COVID 19 response measures.
When children are exposed to different stressors 88.6% of them reached out to their parents for support. 30% to siblings, 42.5% to teacher, 15% to other family members and 7.5% to grandparents. 9% of children do not seek support
15.2% of children said that sometimes they were hit, slapped or kicked while 8.9% said that the aforementioned physical violence happened often with them
35% reported at least one case of physical violence.
27.9% were completely deprived from continuing any learning for this school year. Among children who said that their school shifted to distance learning through TV broadcast, 32.7% were unable to attend those lessons while 26.5% rarely attended and only 14.3% always attended.
Both girls and boys interviewed said that a pandemic like this presents unique challenges that can increase the number of child marriages.
Girls and boys in Afghanistan are responding to the challenges created by the pandemic, and working towards bettering their own lives and the lives of those around them. Interviewed girls and boys said that spending quality time with family did help in coping with boredom, and dealing with a sense of loss, instils a feeling of security, inculcates family values, and much more.
In the first half of 2020, the United Nations Humanitarian Air Service  ( UNHAS )  stepped up operations to facilitate the COVID 19 response and maintain aid workers' mobility. In support of the Government, UNHAS even flew two polymerase chain reactors  ( PCR )  used for coronavirus  testing from Kabul to Hirat free of charge.
Pandemic related border closures and flight suspensions  ( both domestic and international )  challenged the ability of humanitarians to deliver on their commitments and ensure aid personnel and goods continued to reach different parts of the country.
WASH partners continue to face security related challenges in accessing some hard to reach areas, where WASH needs remain the highest.
Meanwhile, Mine Action partners continue to be challenged by security related access constraints. This in turns leads to the delay in life saving land clearance activities.
Surveyed children showed signs of resilience with: 86.3% who are most often still optimistic about the future, 82.1% who are most often dealing well with problem; 73% who are most often thinking clearly and 76% who are most often able to make their own mind about things
COVID 19 amplified social isolation and contributed to fading friendships, lifetime losses, physical contact starvation, disrupted education and to challenging family relationships
Children responsibilities at home increased during the COVID 19 outbreak. More than half of surveyed children said they are more engaged in household chores in comparison to the period before the pandemic with 91.8% taking care of sick family members
fears from COVID 19 children reported stress over the health of their beloved ones  ( 61.3% )  and stressed also about their own health and worried to catch the virus  ( 65% )
Interviewed girls and boys said that they slept without eating some evenings and are worried about their financial situation as they are in some cases the unique breadwinners for their families.
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.
Until early February 2020, availability of labor opportunities had been following seasonal trends, with an increase in the availability of labor at the national level in February relative to January  ( Figure 1 ) . This increase continued labor opportunities significantly reduced in mid March, particularly in urban areas following the lockdown of big cities.
IDPs may be exposed to mines and IEDs when fleeing conflict areas or when returning to their home areas, potentially resulting in death, injury, and trauma.
Over the period of 2010 – 2018, there has been a notable increase in deaths and injuries in Kunduz Province  ( The Johanniter 11/2019 ) . Civilians across Afghanistan are frequently killed or injured as a consequence of military ground operations; however, the primary cause of civilian casualties in Afghanistan remains exposure to mines and IEDs, which accounts for 42% of the overall total  ( UNAMA 02/2020 ) . These are frequently places in areas with concentrations of civilians and civilian infrastructure; they frequently result in child casualties as well  ( AOAV 01/04/2020 )   ( UNAMA 02/2020 ) .
The National Government recorded 595 confirmed cases of COVID 19; the wider north eastern area has a death rate of just over 3% and a recovery rate of 46%, although Kunduz' recovery rate is lower at 42.5%  ( Afghan Ministry of Public Health last accessed 02/09/2020 )   ( OCHA 25/08/2020 ) .
IDPs often are exposed to psychological trauma and may require special care. Civilians who are moving are exposed to IEDs and mines, along main throughways; children may be especially exposed to injury or death from explosive weapons.
Although Kunduz houses one of Afghanistan's only high level trauma health facility, resources are restricted; there are 75 public health facilities in the province, however they often lack human resources to address trauma injuries or some basic health care and are controlled or influence by the Taliban  ( The Johanniter 11/2019 ) .
NGO assessments have identified that IDPs need shelter aid, though warned against establishing camps style settlements that may encourage the spread of COVID 19  ( OCHA 27/08/2020 ) .
IDPs in Kunduz are residing with relatives or friends, sheltering in schools, or have put up makeshift shelters, all of which are inadequate  ( OCHA 25/08/2020 ) .
IDPs are also likely to be exposed to COVID 19, as many are living in unsuitable conditions. IDPs may be exposed to food insecurity and suffer malnutrition.
During the reporting period, 55 children and adolescents with COVID 19 related protection needs were supported with case management through referrals to multi sector services in Jawzjan, Kandahar, Nangarhar and Sar e pul provinces.
Between 12 October and 8 November, 302,081 people across the country were sensitised on COVID 19 and related preventive measures by Protection Cluster partners, bringing the total to 2,596,912 people reached since the start of the crisis.
Health service provision to IDPs and host communities likewise continues to be impacted by the Afghan conflict. Low routine immunization coverage and a ban on the polio programme in some areas has resulted in ongoing public health risks in various parts of the country.
Inadequacies in funding, medical staff, infrastructure and other resources is further hampering the provision of, and access to, vital health services.
Evidence from past epidemics shows that adolescent girls are at particular risk of dropping out and not returning to school after the crisis is over.
Lack of access to education makes young girls more vulnerable to abuse, child marriage/ forced marriage; a school environment can be a safe place for young girls, where they are the re  sponsibility of teachers and other adults who can identify signs of exploitation.
Data indicates that women and girls face distinct and increased risks due to COVID 19, from health to the economy and security to social protection, including increasing levels of violence.
The Government of Afghanistan announced the closure of schools in March 2020, for an initial period of three months which was further extended until the end of August 2020. This included all schools and Community Based Education  ( CBE )  programmes.
WASH partners also extended sustainable WASH assistance to 63,229 people living in hard to reach areas and overcrowded settlements and an additional 153,675 vulnerable people with humanitarian needs at an estimated cost of $9 million.
Some 92 per cent of those displaced are either unable or unwilling to return home and continue to stay in undignified living conditions crippled by mounting debt.
The COVID 19 pandemic officially reached Herat on 23 March via an individual from Qom province in neighbouring Iran.
After nearly two months, access to quality education in Herat is acute.
Urgent advocacy with parties to the conflict is needed to cease all attacks against healthcare facilities, personnel, transport and supplies, and to end fighting in civilian populated areas, particularly the use of indirect fire in the vicinity of hospitals.
Following decades of conflict, people in Afghanistan rate their own quality of life as being lower than any other population worldwide. When asked to rate their quality of life in 2018 on a scale where “0' represents their worst possible life and “10' their best possible life, people in Afghanistan gave an average rating of 2.7 in 2018, down from 4.2 in 2016 and the joint lowest figure Gallup has recorded in any country since it began tracking these measures in 2006.
The recent easing of restrictions on the movement of people into Pakistan through the Chaman Spin Buldak point is allowing Afghan businesspeople and traders to resume business at the border.
At the same time, Afghan migrants seeking to enter or re enter Iran are facing tighter restrictions at borders, at both official and unofficial crossing points.
According to the International Organization for Migration  ( IOM ) , around 431,600 undocumented Afghan migrants returned from Iran and Pakistan between January and August 2020, with only 13 percent receiving humanitarian assistance upon arrival in Afghanistan
As a result, purchasing power for both casual labors and pastoralists   as measured by the terms of trade  ( TOT ) 1 between wages and livestock, respectively, against wheat flour   has improved significantly since May 2020, when both TOTs were at their lowest point in the last three years. However, both TOTs remain lower than last year and three year average levels.
On average, around 30 percent in urban areas rely on non agriculture wage labor according to 2019 Seasonal Food Security Assessment  ( SFSA ) . However previous surveys estimated that this figure was lower, with 10.7 percent of those in urban areas relying on “wage labor' and 5.9 percent relying on “day labor' according to the 2016/17 Afghanistan Living Conditions Survey  ( ALCS ) .
Casual labor wages have also improved at the national level, increasing by 5 percent from May to July after COVID 19 control measures were eased inside the country.
Humanitarian assistance reached approximately 16,450 people affected by conflict in Kunduz and Takhar provinces.
The increased violence and insecurity affected civilian movements and humanitarian activities across Hilmand province.
In Kandahar, fighting continued mainly in Arghandab, Zheray and Panjwayi which is creating problems for farmers who cultivating the crops. Also, the threat of improvised explosive devices  ( IEDs )  and illegal checkpoints on main roads connecting Kandahar to Hilmand and the western part of the country are hindering civilian movement.
The school closures and disallowance of winterisation activities have meant that previously budgeted and approved activities will not be implemented, which impacts not only children's learning trajectory, wellbeing and ability to catch up on learning opportunities lost to the COVID 19 pandemic but also donor confidence in funding critical education programming.
On 15 November 2020, the Ministry of Education announced the closure of schools in cold climate provinces for grades 1 12
The 2020 IPC Analysis indicates that the pandemic has intensified regular shocks and caused a significant deterioration in the food security situation across Afghanistan.
Protection Cluster partners' access to vulnerable populations in parts of Hilmand, Ghazni Urozgan, Logar and Kandahar provinces has been restricted by the deteriorating security situation and other access challenges.
Insecure housing, land and property rights are a key source of vulnerability for many people, particularly IDPs, returnees and women.
Considering the approaching winter and a potential second wave of COVID 19, there is critical need for warm clothing and winter assistance for the IDP community, specifically in the north and north east regions.
WASH Cluster partners report challenges with attaining approvals from the appropriate line ministries to begin COVID  19 responses, resulting in delays in response for people in need. WASH partners note that non health related COVID  19 response activities are taking longer to approve.
WASH facility maintenance and the provision of water continues at the Milak  ( Nimroz )  border crossing. During the reporting period, WASH activities at the Milak border crossing reached 21,716 people, with 114,679 people reached in this location since the start of the crisis.
10,830 hygiene kits – which include hygiene supplies such as soap for hand washing, bathing and laundry – were distributed during the reporting period, reaching 73,484 people across 36 districts.
The ICCT's $138m Winterisation Plan remains woefully underfunded with only $64m received. Support from the Government towards this plan is urgently needed.
Additionally, frontline NGO workers are set to receive new deliveries of PPE – including both surgical and N95 masks, face shields and shoe covers – from WHO over the coming weeks.
The RCCE Working Group has also developed Self Isolation at Home Guidance Messages which are available in English, Dari, Pashto. More than 4.73m people have been reached with RCCE messages by health partners.
2,657 children aged 6 59 months received treatment for Severe Acute Malnutrition  ( SAM )  and 36,750 children aged 6 59 months received treatment for Moderate Acute Malnutrition  ( MAM ) .
While implementing activities to mitigate the spread of COVID 19, humanitarian partners also continue to respond to other ongoing and emerging humanitarian needs.
With a second wave of the gathering pace globally, there is an urgent need to ensure a rapid distribution of medical and protective equipment to all corners of the country.
Since 01 January, UNHCR assisted the return of 2,068 Afghan refugees from Pakistan  ( 1,063 ) , Iran  ( 905 )  and other countries  ( 100 )  including Tajikistan, India, Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, and the Russian Federation, under its facilitated voluntary repatriation programme.
In response to the COVID 19 pandemic and the deteriorating socio economic situation in Afghanistan in 2020, UNICEF reached 33,698 people  ( including 24,070 children )  with cash based assistance  ( CBA )  using a ‘cash plus' approach combining cash transfers with other modalities or activities.
Child protection responses were scaled up, including the development of guidelines and procedures. Moreover, UNICEF provided leadership through the Child Protection Sub Cluster to develop and roll out the Case Management Standard Operating procedures  ( SoPs )  which has been endorsed by the Government of Afghanistan.
To support the MoE COVID 19 response plan, UNICEF, as Education in Emergency Working Group  ( EiEWG )  co lead, established and led two sub taskforces on alternative learning pathways and teacher engagement.
UNICEF has supported delivery of lifesaving nutrition and health services for the underserved population in the hard to reach areas of 14 provinces and as well as for the displaced population in the IDP settlements through 55 mobile health and nutrition teams  ( 7 in Kandahar, 6 in Helmand, 2 in Faryab, 4 in Kunduz, 7 in Ghor, 8 in Badghis, 4 in Bamyan, 4 in Daikundi, 2 in Paktya,1 in Paktika, 2 in Zabul, 2 in Nuristan, 1 in Laghman, 2 in Uruzgan and 3 in Herat provinces ) .
UNICEF remains the sole provider of RUTF and therapeutic milk for all children under five who require services for SAM treatment, with an approximate cost of USD25 million annually in Afghanistan.
Additionally, more capacity building on nutrition and nutritional guidance in the context of COVID 19 is needed for health and nutrition workers, including nutrition counsellors.
Overall 41% of the responders know about protecting themselves from the infection.
Like many informal settlements around the world, overcrowding and multiple occupancy housing presents a high risk of COVID 19 transmission for the population of Surkh Dewall.
Between 3 May   1 August 2020, the Ministry of Refugees and Repatriation  ( MoRR )  recorded 148,471 total returns  ( 148,341 from Iran and 130 from Pakistan )  of undocumented Afghans from Iran and Pakistan.
Only 40% of the community members are aware of the Corona Virus disease.
Since the pandemic, some 66 per cent of households in these settlements had lost income and 74 per cent took on more debt.