nlp-thedeep/humsetbias huggingface dataset:
( 29 March – 4 April 2021 ) During the reporting period, 17,339 people received humanitarian assistance   among them are 4,970 newly displaced people, 12,320 vulnerable people in host communities and 49 undocumented returnees.
Armed clashes were reported in Alishang district, Laghman province and in Chapadara district, Kunar and Surkhrod, Khogyani and Hesarak districts of Nangarhar province. On 2 April, 17 civilians were reportedly injured including women and children by mortar shells that landed near residential areas in Alishang district, Laghman province.
Fighting between ANSF and an NSAG continued across the north east mainly in Badakshan, Baghlan and Kunduz provinces. On 30 March, a civilian was reportedly killed by fighting in Pul e Khumri district of Baghlan province. Also, 3,472 people were reportedly displaced to Imam Sahib district due to ongoing fighting in Kunduz province.
On 4 April, a measles vaccination campaign started in Nahr e Saraj and Lashkargah districts as the number of reported cases in the districts increased.
In Hilmand province, armed clashes were ongoing in Lashkargah, Nad e Ali, Nahr e Saraj and Nawa e Barakzaiy districts. On 2 April, five civilians were reportedly killed by a roadside IED detonation in Lashkargah district
In Kandahar province, fighting continued in Panjwayi, Zheray and some parts of Maywand districts. On 2 April, reportedly an airstrike targeting a vehicle borne improvised explosive device damaged houses in Arghandab district. The number of civilian casualties is yet to be confirmed
( 29 March – 4 April 2021 ) Between 20 and 30 March, 1,771 IDPs received humanitarian assistance in Spin Boldak, Kandahar province and in Lashkargah, Hilmand province. In addition, 299 IDPs were identified to receive humanitarian aid in the coming days in Nimroz province.
( 29 March – 4 April 2021 ) According to provincial officials, 630 people were displaced from Gizab, Chora and Dehrawud districts to Tirinkot, Uruzgan province.
Roadside IEDs  ( Improvised Explosive Devices )  are more common in the southern and eastern provinces: out of 324 roadside IED incidents at least 185 were recorded in Nangarhar  ( 66 ) , Kandahar  ( 61 ) , Hilmand  ( 23 ) , Kunar  ( 20 ) , Khost  ( 15 )  and Zabul  ( 15 ) . The five most contaminated districts in terms of IED incidents in Q1 2021 remained Kabul  ( 82 ) , Jalalabad  ( 78 ) , Arghandab  ( 77 ) , Khost  ( 75 )  and Kandahar  ( 66 ) .
In Q1 2021, the HAG recorded 1646 IED ( Improvised Explosive Devices )  incidents in its specific IED database. The predominant number of IED incidents was attributed to the render safe procedures  ( RSP ) , taking approximately 50 per cent  ( 825 )  of all IED incidents in Q1 2021 in Afghanistan.
In Q1 2020, the HAG logged at least 12 IED incidents affecting humanitarians, compared to four such incidents in Q1 2020 and 16 in Q4 2020.
A single airstrike affecting an NGO was recorded in February in Faryab when AAF reportedly targeted a gathering of Taliban members in the vicinity of an NGO run school resulting in structural damage to the building.
During Q1 2021, at least two humanitarians lost their lives, and two others were wounded due to kinetic activity.
Female IDPs reported that their voices are not heard when it comes to decisions concerning them, negatively impacting on their wellbeing. Women confirmed lack of their leadership role in such structures during KIIs and CDs.
In Q1 2021, the HAG recorded 12 instances of interference with the beneficiary selection of partner organizations, compared to 11 incidents in Q4 2020. Taliban authored six of these interferences, with community members and GoA personnel authoring four and two incidents respectively.
The HAG recorded six interference attempts with staff recruitment in Q1, which is on par with the six incidents logged in Q4 2020. All six interferences with recruitment were authored by the Taliban.
Partners raised government requirements for MoUs as well as continued uncertainty about the new NGO law as the main issues related to bureaucratic impediments.
In Q1 2021, the HAG recorded six bureaucratic impediments, which is on par with the seven incidents recorded in Q4 2020.
Six mobile health teams provided nutrition support to people affected by conflict and natural disasters in Nangarhar and Kunar provinces. Among 3,757 children under five screened, 154 children suffered from severe acute malnutrition  ( SAM )  and 424 children suffered from moderate acute malnutrition  ( MAM ) .
According to WHO, a measles campaign targeting 40,889 children under 10 started in Lashkargah and Nahr e Saraj districts, Hilmand province on 3 April. Between 3 and 6 April, 15,123 children including 7,143 girls and 7,980 boys were vaccinated.
According to the provincial authorities, the clearance of hundreds of IEDs in some areas in Arghandab and Panjwaiy districts is ongoing so that people can return to their places of origins.
On 6 April, four civilians were killed and 13 were injured by a roadside IED which hit a bus along the highway connecting Kandahar and Hirat provinces.
The presence of IEDs in contested districts continued to hinder civilian movement and access to agriculture related livelihood activities.
In Kandahar province, fighting continued in Arghandab, Panjwaiy and Maywand districts. On 7 April, a woman and a child were reportedly wounded by a rocket that landed next to the provincial governor's compound in Kandahar city.
A total of 2,590 people affected by conflict received humanitarian assistance in Faryab and Sar e Pul provinces. In addition, 9,695 vulnerable people and deportees in host communities received cash assistance for food in Maymana city, Faryab province.
In addition, 6,041 people received humanitarian assistance as winter support in Bamyan and Daykundi provinces.
Between 28 and 31 March, provincial national disease surveillance authorities reported three measles outbreaks. On 31 March, two outbreaks were reported in Ashtaqzaiy and Sarab villages in Chora district, Uruzgan province. On 28 March, another outbreak was reported in Atgharo village, Qalat district, Zabul province. A total of 30 children were affected: 20 in Chora and 10 in Qalat. One child reportedly died and the others are receiving medical treatment.
Sporadic incidents of armed clashes were reported in Tarnak Wa Jaldak, Arghandab and Mezan districts, Zabul province.
During the reporting period, fighting between Afghan National Security Forces  ( ANSF )  and a non state armed group  ( NSAG )  continued with reported air strikes and improvised explosive devices  ( IEDs )  detonations across the south.
( 02   08 April 2021 ) IOM's Protection programme has supported 937 undocumented returnee households comprising at least one person with specific needs  ( PSN )  in 2021 through 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 referral pathways are exhausted.
( 02   08 April 2021 ) Under the Global Fund multi country TB grant in partnership with UNDP, a total of 10,039 undocumented Afghans were screened for tuberculosis at the Zero Point Reception Centres in Herat, Nimroz, Kandahar and Nangarhar. Of the total screened, 336 presumptive TB cases were identified and 5 persons were confirmed positive for TB
( 02   08 April 2021 ) During the past week a total of 4,195 patients were served by IOM's 7 mobile health teams, inclusive of 4,195 outpatient consultations, health education sessions for 3,877 persons and psychosocial counselling sessions for 1,115 patients.
( 02   08 April 2021 ) IOM Afghanistan is seeking 17m USD in 2021 to continue response efforts.
( 02   08 April 2021 ) IOM provided post arrival humanitarian assistance to 1,519  ( 5% )  undocumented Afghans at the IOM Transit Centers in Herat and Nimroz during the past week.
( 26 March   01 April 2021 ) During the past week a total of 7,926 patients were served by IOM's 7 mobile health teams, inclusive of 3,758 outpatient consultations, health education sessions for 7,926 persons and psychosocial counselling sessions for 1,177 patients
The nominal retail price of rice in Mazar e sharif was constant from September 2020 to February 2021.
The nominal retail price of wheat flour in Kandahar was maximum in January 2021 and was niminum in September and December 2020.
The nominal retail price of wheat grain in Faizabad was maximum in Februrary 2021 and was minimum in September 2020.
The nominal retail price of wheat grain in Kandahar was maximum in January 2021 and was minimum in September 2020.
The nominal retail price of cooking oil in Kabul was maximum in February 2021 and was minimum in September 2020.
The nominal retail price of rice in Kandahar was maximum in September to November 2020 and was minimum in January 2021 and February 2021.
The nominal retail price of diesel in Mazar e sharif was maximum in February 2021 and was minimum in December 2020 and January 2021.
Afghanistan has received 968,000 doses  ( 500,000 doses from India and 468,000 doses received through COVAX )  and vaccinated 484,000 persons. The World Bank has also approved USD 60 million from the International Development Association to help Afghanistan purchase COVID 19 vaccines, as well as additional financing of USD 113 million, which will help reach more than 17% of Afghans.
The Ministry for Education appealed to humanitarian partners working in the field education to support the reopening of the schools. The Ministry will share details on the situation in Kandahar on 18 April, at a meeting of the ‘Education in Emergency' working group.
Following the recent fighting in the Arghandab district in the province of Kandahar, which involved airstrikes and the use of vehicle borne explosive devices, civilian buildings were heavily damaged. Ten schools were damaged of which six are dedicated to the education of girls.
Protection partners in the area are recommended to support community structures with longer term training on protection themes, including the rights of women and children, and to grow capacity of community structures in identifying and mitigating risks at the community level.
DRC Emergency teams are assessing the area for emergency MPCA support. Emergency WASH and Shelter services are recommended.
IDPs reported they intend to stay in their area of displacement as they are unable to return due to the armed conflict and the main roads are blocked, but that they intend to return when such option becomes available and is safe.
Health clinics are situated 1 3km from where IDPs are sheltering, and the IDPs have to take transportation to access these clinics. While local transportation is available, IDPs reported that they do not have enough funds to pay transport costs to reach the clinic. As a coping strategy, IDPs reported that they try to avoid visiting the doctor for minor illnesses  ( such as fever, cough, and pain, etc. )  and treat patients with home remedies, potentially causing adverse effects as there is limited testing and treatment of Covid 19.
Afghanistan is particularly vulnerable due to limited availability of properly equipped medical facilities, inadequate numbers of trained medical staff, a large influx of returnees neighbouring countries during recent weeks, and lack of technical and financial resources to support local government in tackling the pandemic.
The IDPs reported access to civil documentation, however women reported to not be allowed to apply for tazkira, passport or birth certificates due to sociocultural barriers; men reported that they consider it shameful for women and girls to have documentation with photos, and that they consider women holding ID cards to be unnecessary.
IDPs reported that as a coping mechanism for limited financial resources, HHs also forcibly marry young girls to significantly older men, resulting in the girl fleeing to avoid the situation. As a result, affected girls face additional protection risks including exposure to abuse and trafficking.
IDPs reported feeling unsafe in their area of displacement as most of the houses they are sheltering in lack boundary walls, doors, and windows.
Due to ongoing armed conflict between Armed Opposition Groups  ( AOGs )  and Afghan Security Forces, more than 800 IDP households  ( HH )  have displaced from Panjwaye, Arghandab, and Zhari districts of Kandahar province to Naqileen, Shurandam, and Sayed Jan Kalacha residential areas located in PD05, southeast of Kandahar city.
The IDPs were forced to flee due to armed conflict in Panjwaye, Arghandab, and Zhari districts of Kandahar province, leaving their homes and orchards behind. According to IDPs, all of their orchards, streets and main routes have been contaminated with dangerous Improvised Explosive Devices  ( IEDs )  in their area of origin.
Mine Risk Education recommended to be provided to IDP populations.
IDPs reported HLP issues in their areas of origin including that their houses, streets, and crops in Arghandab district  ( Nagahan, Tabin, Kohak )  villages were destroyed by AOGs and Pro Government Forces by bombardment, and that their properties had been looted by unknown elements. Due to this damage, IDPs face additional challenges to return safely to their area of origin.
Community members reported that children are sent to collect plastic bottles and garbage for burning as fuel, increasing health risks.
Early marriages are common practice in Southern region, and prevalent in both the IDP and host communities. However, IDPs reported that practice is increasing among IDP HHs as a coping strategy to limited income.
Congestion within the houses poses higher risk of disease contagion, and women reported that they have limited privacy, impacting negatively on their sense of dignity.
The houses where IDPs are predominantly sheltering have no doors or windows, and some houses do not have roofs. Most of the IDPs are living in houses with no electricity or heaters
IDPs reported they were unable to carry any belongings, food or NFIs during their displacement and as a result do not have access to basic household items in their area of displacement.
IDPs reported that diarrhea is common in the area due to consumption of contaminated water.
Afghanistan has undertaken the preventive and non pharmaceutical measures as soon as the first case of COVID 19 was detected in Herat province.
On 18 March, UNHCR in Afghanistan received a consignment of 300,000 KF94 face masks donated by the Government of the Republic of Korea to fight the spread of the COVID19 pandemic in Afghanistan.
Against this backdrop, the La Niña event is causing below average precipitation, thin snowpack and above average temperatures in most parts of the country and it is expected that farmers and pastoralists will be negatively affected, as well as water availability.
Humanitarian negotiations should be guided by the Humanitarian and Joint Operating Principles; Humanitarian negotiations, including on levy exemptions, are more likely to succeed when carried by a collective of humanitarian partners, as we are stronger when we speak in a joint and unified voice rather than trying to resolve issues on our own;
In Q1 2021, the HAG recorded 23 threats/intimidations against humanitarian personnel, that is already half the number of all threats logged in 2020. 52 per cent of all threats were attributed to the Taliban, with another 35 per cent issued by ACGs although it was often difficult to make a clear distinction between ideologically and criminally motivated threats.
The number of abductions and detentions remains concerningly high, with 13 abductions and 14 arrests/detentions recorded this quarter1 . With the exception of four arrests, all abductions and detentions were authored by the Taliban, with a total of 44 humanitarians withhold for at least a few hours, compared to 25 humanitarians in Q4 2020.
In Q1, the HAG recorded 107 incidents stemming from violence against humanitarians, a 50 per cent increase compared to the 71 incidents recorded in Q4 and more than twice the numbers recorded during the same period in 2020. Most incidents were initiated by Armed Criminal Group  ( ACG )   ( 46 ) , closely followed by Taliban authored incidents  ( 44 ) , with Afghan National Security Force  ( ANSF )  authoring another 11.
The assessment team observed that many children, young and elderly family members displayed signs of psychological distress and physical injury as a result of the armed conflict in their area of origin.
Subsequent sections provide some ballpark estimates on the impact of COVID 19 in Afghanistan and recommend emergency and early recovery policy measures in areas where UNDP stands ready to assist.
46%  ( 14,059 respondents )  claimed that they had paid a municipality  ( return )  tax  ( 100,000 – 500,000 IRR/ approximately USD 7 35 ) ;  21% claimed that they faced problems during return: high transportation/ travel costs, fee charged at detention center, limited transportation services to reach the border, overcrowded situation in the bus stations, or bribe required to pass police check point.
The majority of interviewed deportees  ( 96% )  cited lack of documentation and irregular entry to CoPR as the reasons provided to them for their deportation.  Close to 2% of interviewed deportees  ( 245 respondents, including 164 single individuals and 81 family cases )  stated that they were arrested and deported following their attempt to leave Iran and move onward to a third country in the absence of proper documentation.  1%  ( 109 respondents )  of the interviewed deportees  ( 11,886 )  stated that they went through a legal procedure and were deported after receiving a court order, while 99% of the interviewed deportees stated that they were deported in the absence of a court order.
73% of the interviewed returnees/deportees stated that have no education,  ( 77% female and 72% male ) . 9 % stated that they have minimal education  ( up to grade 6 ) , 6% up to grade 9, 7% up to grade 12, close to 3% went to madrasa, and 1% went to university.
According to MoRR/IOM, during the weeks of 25   31 October, the total number of undocumented returnees from Iran was 29,420  ( 20,143 spontaneous returnees and 9,277 deportees )  and from Pakistan was 89  ( 80 spontaneous returnees and 9 deportees ) . Since 01 January, the total number of undocumented returnees is 701,268 individuals, including 695,677 from Iran  ( 436,593 spontaneous returnees and 259,084 deportees )  and 5,591 from Pakistan  ( 5,111 spontaneous returnees and 480 deportees ) .
55% deportees, 38% spontaneous returnees, 6% passport holders and 1% VRF holders;  33% of the interviewed VRF holders, 21% spontaneous returnees, 15% of deportees, and 5% of passport holders were female;  93% of the interviewed returnees stated that they returned from nine provinces in Iran: Tehran, Sistan va Baluchestan, Kerman, Fars, Esfahan, Khorasan Razavi, Khuzistan, Yazd, and Hormozgan;
In July, UNHCR revised its border monitoring tool to collect deportation reasons as well as intentions of returnees and deportees after their arrival in Afghanistan to better assess deportations trends. The revised tool has been implemented since 04 July in all entry points and since then a total of 28,603 interviews were conducted, including 11,886 interviews with deportees  ( 9,916 M and 1,970 F ) .
Income support measures of a universal or more targeted kind are being introduced or expanded in several countries following the pandemic with additional ones that expand health services, provide support a lifeline to companies and so on. There are limited options for Afghanistan, a country that is under fiscal constraint and 55% of its population lives below the poverty line and perhaps half of the remaining are vulnerable or about to become vulnerable. Table 3 suggests that even a measure  ( of any kind )  that would cost on average only around 1,000 Afghanis  ( $15 )  per adult equivalent per month are beyond of the current reach of the government. This conclusion holds even though the income support intervention in this example is foreseen to last for only six months while the effects of the crisis may last for two years or even more.
Public health policies aim to contain the rapid spread of the virus and “flatten the caseload curve'. As the is already known and also included in the National Emergency Response Plan for Corona Virus 2020  ( MoPH, 2020 )  this can be achieved by introducing and enforcing social distancing measures while in parallel expanding health services through additional hospital beds  ( and hospitals )  and intensive care provisions, equipment and personnel. The “flattened case load curve' would reduce the spreading of the virus over time and enabling more people to receive proper health treatment  ( Figure 2 ) . This will obviously also reduce the number of deaths though it will extend the length in time of the pandemic8.
Afghanistan has been hit by the pandemic at a critical point in the peace process. The year on year forecasts  ( around 5% )  made before the emergence of the virus last year that might have already appeared to be optimistic last year, may well turn negative due to lower investment, net exports, consumption and constrained aid inflows.
It should be borne in mind that at the time of writing, Afghanistan may already be at the initial surge phase of COVID 19 pandemic compared to the so far detected cases of 370. This will affect Afghanistan's economy and the people's livelihoods that are likely to suffer from substantial jobs losses arising from the high rates of informality and seasonality of employment as well as internal and external trade interruption, and the diversion of scarce resources to confront the health consequences of the pandemic.
Moving ahead, policies will have to take into account: • The magnitude of the challenge that is conflated by Afghanistan being a low income fragile country with limited capacity for the timely introduction of effective measures and limited outreach in all parts of its territory that has borders with Iran that extend to nearly 1,000 km  ( and those for Pakistan are 2,400 km )
UNDP stands firm in its support to Afghanistan. In close dialogue and consultations with the government and UNCT, it is examining ways to develop stronger partnerships with other international organizations such as the Global Fund and World Bank. It is currently reprogramming existing resources in line with the identification of critical measures that would strengthen the health system, contain the economic impact and provide social support to mitigate the adverse health and economic effect on citizens. Assisting the government in devising a cash transfer or otherincome support program is a distinct possibility.
Poor nutrition, especially of children, threatens welfare and education gains. Despite a 2 percent annual reduction, 41 percent of Afghan children under the age of five are still stunted.
33%  ( 2,785 respondents )  claimed that they faced problems during the COVID 19 outbreak, mainly lost work/wages, movement restrictions due to the lockdown, lack of access to markets, and lack of access to medical services;
Since 01 January, UNHCR assisted the return of 1,607 Afghan refugees from Pakistan  ( 798 ) , Iran  ( 755 )  and other countries  ( 54 )  including Tajikistan, India, Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, and the Russian Federation, under its facilitated voluntary repatriation programme.
( UNHCR ) Between 25   31 October, 1,639 interviews, 1,154 male and 485 female respondents, were carried out with returnees from Iran  ( 996 )  and Pakistan  ( 643 ) . Since the start of border monitoring on 05 April, a total of 39,074 returnees and deportees  ( 29,107 M and 9,967 F )  were interviewed as they entered Afghanistan from Iran at Islam Qala  ( 15,556 )  and Zaranj/Milak  ( 15,082 ) , and from Pakistan at Spin Boldak/Chaman  ( 6,582 )  and Torkham  ( 1,854 ) , including 28,524 single individuals and 10,550 heads of households who returned with their families.
UNHCR monitoring partner recorded the spontaneous return of PoR card holders through Torkham, among whom a number of them reported that the border authorities in Torkham punched their cards for unknow reasons. UNHCR Afghanistan, in coordination with the office in Pakistan, is closely monitoring this trend at Torkham.
Afghanistan is a deeply fragile and conflict affected country, where the security situation remains precarious. Civilian casualties have reached unprecedented levels since 2016. The country's humanitarian challenges worsened, with increasing numbers of returnees and persons internally displaced by growing violence.
Economic activity plummeted in the first half of 2020 as COVID 19 negatively impacted the industry and service sectors.
Returnees from Iran account for more than 99 percent of total returnees amid the outbreak of COVID 19 in Iran.
The lockdown is leaving hundreds of thousands of day labourers out of work; loss of income and rising food prices is prompting panic, desperation, and potential risks of criminality and social unrest.
Afghanistan still has not announced any policy for education while the education institutions are closed. There is complete disconnect between teachers and students. The other challenge is lack of access to internet and technology due to low literacy rate in the target areas. The students are free with no tasks during the day which leaves many students unable to connect to distant learning moreover forgetting what they learned during the year
Despite continued robust growth in agriculture following the recovery from the 2018 drought, lower outputs in industry and services, as well as declining revenues due to trade disruptions and weaker tax compliance have put government finances under pressure
MoPH  [ Ministry of Public Health ]  data shows that as of 15 July, 34,994 people across all 34 provinces in Afghanistan have tested positive for COVID 19. Some 22,456 people have recovered, and 1,094 people have died  ( 54 of whom are healthcare workers ) .
In five instances, ANSF  ( Afghan National Security Force )  members occupied humanitarian health facilities, including in Sar e Pul and Hilmand provinces where they used them as firing positions.
In Q4, the HAG logged 13 threats issued against members of the humanitarian community, bringing the number of threats and intimidation attempts in 2020 to 46, compared to 22 in 2019. 11 of the threats were assessed to be issued by NSAG TB members, with community and GOA members initiating another threat each. National staff of IOs were targeted in five of these incidents, with NSAG TB attempting to extort money from them.
For comparison, the same number of humanitarian casualties were recorded during Q4 due to military operations and kinetic activity. Criminally motivated attacks therefore remain one of the major threats to the civilian population in Afghanistan, including to national and international staff members of the humanitarian community.
However, criminally motivated incidents often go underreported and Afghanistan's difficult economic situation, with the current unemployment rate standing at 11.16%  ( based on the International Labour Organization, ILOSTAT database, as of September 20, 2020 )  pushes many individuals into criminality for survival. The COVID 19 pandemic further contributed to the difficult economic situation, making it less likely that levels of criminal activity will significantly improve in 2021.
In 57 abductions, out of which 55 were initiated by NSAG TB, 110 humanitarians were abducted in 2020, compared to 22 abductions impacting 49 humanitarians in 2019.
Violence against humanitarians was driven by robberies, abductions as well as threats and intimidations. While the number of robberies remained relatively stable with 92 incidents recorded in 2020, compared to 81 in 2019, the number of abductions as well as threats and intimidations doubled from 2019 to 2020.
In 2020, the HAG  ( Humanitarian Advisory Group )  recorded 252 instances of violence and threats against humanitarian personnel, assets or facilities, compared to 188 such incidents in 2019.
Even in the best case scenario of a reduction in conflict activity in the area, the presence of IEDs will continue to impede humanitarian movements over the months to come. In two incidents, humanitarians were wounded in IED detonations in Hilmand and Khost provinces, bringing the total number of casualties of humanitarian aid workers in 2020 due to IEDs to eight wounded and three killed.
Another 16 incidents stemmed from lack of phone coverage, with all of them authored by NSAG TB  ( Non State Armed Group – Taliban )  interfering with the operations of telecommunication providers, including the suspension of their activities during nighttime or the destruction of telecommunication antennas.
In 2020, the HAG recorded 67 access constraints relating to physical environment and lack of infrastructure, of which 14 were due to natural disasters, including flooding or heavy snowfall blocking roads.
NSAG TB members manning the checkpoints seem to closely verify the authenticity of these letters which sometimes can take up to 24 hours during which trucks are prevented from continuing. There is also one incident on record, where the license plate indicated in the permission letter did not match with the license plate of the truck which resulted in NSAGTB withholding the trucks for weeks and launching an investigation into the contracted driver.
At least 12 incidents involving the use of heavy yield explosives were reported during Q4. In all 12 instances NSAG TB members targeted ANSF  ( Afghan National Security Force )  personnel and positions, collaterally impacting humanitarian facilities and residences of humanitarian personnel.
2020 saw another significant increase in IED  ( Improvised Explosive Device )  attacks, with INSO recording 6877 incidents, compared to 5568 in 2019 and 4405 in 2018. 1680 or nearly 25 per cent of all IED  ( Improvised Explosive Device )  recorded in 2020 occurred in the Southern Region which saw a flare of conflict activity in the last four months of 2020, which NSAG TB mining whole road sections, thereby significantly impeding humanitarian movement over months to come
In 2020, the HAG logged 38 IED incidents impacting humanitarian actors, compared to 10 such incidents in 2019 and 17 in 2018.
Q4 saw most conflict activity, with the number of access incidents gradually increasing throughout the year from 27 incidents in Q1, 34 in Q2, 52 in Q3 to 93 in Q4.
While disagreement over the beneficiary selection led to the temporary suspension of humanitarian activities in seven cases, it was comparatively easy for partners to resolve these issues through dialogue and engagement.
Prioritize GBV prevention approaches that seek to combat harmful social and gender norms and address the root causes of violence and gender discrimination.
In one instance, in Hilmand Province, NSAG TB  ( Non State Armed Group – Taliban )  stopped an IO food distribution to school students, with NSAG TB  ( Non State Armed Group – Taliban )  insisting for the assistance to go to male students of a Madrasa  ( religious school )  rather than to a government run girl's schools.
These interference attempts   of which NSAG TB  ( Non State Armed Group – Taliban )  initiated 69   had different impacts on humanitarian activities: In 36 instances, programs or projects were temporarily halted, sometimes for several weeks, with another seven incidents resulting in the temporary closure of humanitarian facilities, including in Nuristan, Takhar and Samangan provinces
It is common NSAG TB  ( Non State Armed Group – Taliban )  practice to close all health facilities in a province operated by a partner they disagreed with, leaving potentially hundreds of thousands of beneficiaries without access to health services.
When asked how the COVID 19 crisis affected their decision to return, respondents  ( n=48 )  cited job loss in host countries  ( 27 responses )  and worries for the safety of their families in Afghanistan  ( 19 responses )  as the main reasons.
Health partners were regularly approached with requests to deliver more and better medicines, hire additional and better skilled staff as well as to upgrade existing health facilities, including ambulances. Most of the time these requests were outside the scope of the funded activities, with partners unable to meet the demands even if they wanted. Refusal to agree to these requests often led to the closure of health facilities, with the HAG logging 22 instances of health facilities temporarily closed in 2020, with the longest closure lasting for five months.
Health partners continued to be particularly vulnerable to interference attempts, with 69 interference attempts directed against them, out of which 63 were initiated by NSAG TB  ( Non State Armed Group – Taliban ) .
Discussions about a revision to the NGO law containing problematical new language created confusion among NGO partners, with some provincial GOA  ( Government of Afghanistan ) members commencing implementation of the revised law despite it not having been approved by parliament yet.
In 2020, the HAG  ( Humanitarian Access Group )  recorded 293 interference attempts, compared to 70 such incidents in 2019. While this significant increase is partially attributable to an improved reporting process and partners more open to discuss and share their challenges, it also highlights an increasingly challenging access environment.
2020 saw the highest level of conflict activity since 2001, which also translated in an increase of access constraints due to kinetic activity.
The threefold increase of the number of access constraints related to the physical environment can be attributed to heavy snowfall and flooding occurring in 2020.
In 2020, the HAG  ( Humanitarian Access Group )  recorded 1095 access constraints, compared to 444 in 2019 and 339 in 2018. While the significant increase in the number of access impediments is partially attributable to an improved reporting process, it also highlights an increasingly challenging access environment.
Exports to Pakistan fell  [ in 2019 ]  by US$ 80 million driven by a 32 percent  ( US$ 75 million )  drop in exports of vegetable products. This reflected higher valuation for custom duties imposed by Pakistan amongst mounting trade tensions.
Action to protect returnees include providing personal protective equipment for returnees, especially those who are living in crowded conditions or returnee camps.
The consequences of restrictions imposed due to COVID 19 have resulted in a significant decrease of daily wage opportunities and small trader income.
Only 26% of the health workers shared that there is a protected space for all testing facilities available for women. The response of COVID 19 responders is a bit higher than this at 37%  ( less among women responders to 25% )
The Afghan government has so far been unable to contain the danger of COVID 19 in the country. And despite assurances of financial support from the international community, there are not enough testing kits and medical equipment to treat everyone.
Afghanistan is a very poor country, with more than half of Afghans living with less than $1  ( €0.89 )  a day, according to a 2019 Gallup study. And the pandemic has only made things worse by driving up the price of food and putting people out of work.
55% of the health professionals responded that they didn't receive any formal training related to use of PPE kits and its use to reduce airborne transmission of infections
The three month government plan announced on 06 June remains in place, although the measures intended to limit the spread of C 19 are no longer enforced. During the reporting period, the Afghan government reopened its offices and allowed the reopening of private businesses, universities and wedding halls under the condition of observing social distancing measures. Sport clubs and public parks remain closed, while the Ministry of Economy announced the reopening of private and public schools from 21 August, although only for 11th and 12th grades and under the condition that students will wear face masks.
In the early days of the C 19 outbreak, provincial lockdown measures periodically impeded humanitarian movement, with March and April logging a high number of humanitarian organizations experiencing movement restrictions mainly in Kabul, Hirat, Jalalabad, Kunar and Kandahar provinces.
These flight cancellations had a major impact on humanitarian operations. In anticipation of the international flight cancellations, many organizations relocated their international staff members out of fear of getting stuck in Afghanistan. This massively reduced the presence of international staff members in Afghanistan and despite most organizations being quick in setting up remote working options, also impeded and delayed overall humanitarian service provisions
The impact of domestic flight cancellations was less significant, with UNHAS continuing to serve most locations although they reduced their flight days from five to four days a week.
Nearly a third of Afghanistan's population   around 10 million people   has been infected by the novel coronavirus since February, according to a report published by the country's Health Ministry.
The World Health Organization backed survey revealed that around 31.5% of Afghanistan's population contracted the virus since the country imported its first cases from neighboring Iran.
Ahmad Jawad Osmani, the acting health minister, told local media the survey involved around 9,500 people from across the country. Officially, Kabul has so far reported around 37,000 COVID 19 cases nationwide and nearly 1,300 related deaths as of August 7.
Parliamentarian Hamidi fears that if the government does not come up with a better strategy, more Afghans could lose their lives.
All teachers  ( 100% )  confirmed they have access to electricity  ( either governmental or solar power ) .  Out of the total number, 73% of teachers confirmed that they have access to radio and only 47% of them have access to TV and TV programs. Furthermore, 53% of teachers have access to tablets/smart phone. 27% report having access to internet. Finally, all  ( 100% )  of teachers report having access to simple mobile phones.
Over 11 million people in Afghanistan were facing high levels of acute food insecurity  ( IPC Phase 3 or above )  between August and October 2020.
The newborn mortality rate fell from 53 to 23 per 1,000 live births from 2003 to 2018. The number of functioning health facilities grew from 496 in 2002 to more than 2,800 in 2018 – a nearly five fold increase. The under 5 mortality rate dropped from 191 to 50 per 1,000 live births from 2006 to 2018, while at the same time the proportion of facilities with female staff has increased.
Births attended by skilled health personnel among the lowest income quintile increased to from 14.9% to 58.8% between 2003 to 2018. PENTA 3 immunization coverage  ( a combination of five vaccines in one covering polio, diphtheria, Pertussis, tetanus, haemophilus influenzae type b, and hepatitis B )  doubled between 2002 – 2018 from 29% to 61% among children ages 12 23 months in the lowest income quintile.
38% of the health professionals working at the higher level of health facilities like Provincial Hospitals and Tertiary care /teaching hospitals didn't receive any formal training related to use of PPE Kits.
Overall, the effects of a surge in COVID 19 cases and interruptions to other essential services  ( as resources are diverted; care seeking behaviour is reduced or services are suspended )  affect people's immediate wellbeing, and erode people's coping capacities, making them vulnerable to all forms of future shocks, irrespective of the scale.
State imposed restrictions across the country since March have forced many to struggle with unemployment, limited working days, or increased job insecurity.
Without a reliable stream of income, some have had to sell their possessions to feed their families.
According to the most recent household survey data, close to 15 million Afghans across 2 million households are particularly vulnerable to economic lockdown.
The major reasons for not allowing female members of the family to be hospitalised are the security situation and COVID 19 situation is not good and they don't like women to be sent to hospitals.
The results indicate that COVID 19 will lead to a marked increase in Afghanistan's already high poverty rates.
Finally, a price shock equivalent to a 20 percent increase in food prices in April June was added to the three scenarios simulated.
Although both urban and rural areas are significantly affected, the laboring poor in the former are impacted the most, especially in the worst case scenario  ( see Figure 2 ) . For rural households, the decrease in consumption is larger for the well off due to their dependence on vulnerable activities in the service sector  ( e.g. transportation, shop keeping, etc. )  and a marginally higher food price effect.
The poverty impact of the crisis on households with working women is similar in magnitude to those that only depend on male employment. Among other susceptible groups, households that identified themselves as displaced due to conflict or returned from refuge are more adversely hit. Although they represent a small share of the national population  ( 2 percent and 11 percent, respectively ) , the increase in poverty among these households due to the crisis is larger than the average increase for the country. In the worst case scenario, poverty climbs from 46 percent to 69 percent for displaced households, while it jumps from 53 percent to 75 percent for returning households.
29% of respondents mentioned that Community members are the source of health information related to the pandemic. Women rate this quite higher with 36% of them state so, whereas, only 24% of men have mentioned the same.
More than 97% of respondents reported that they do not have tablets/smart phone/internet and have no access to internet. And almost all of them said they do not give permission to children to use tablets or smart phones.
Given the diversity of responses, it is important to use a layered approach in developing and designing new EiE programming, as well as in adapting existing EiE programs. This “layering' will include attention to different aspects of connectivity reported, both between urban and rural areas, but also within these areas. A “one size fits all' approach to emergency remote teaching and learning will not be appropriate for all children and teachers, and will further widen the digital divide. Where access to technology is available, it should be utilized; where this access is not possible, physical distribution of learning materials, as well as sensitization for caregivers, is crucial for educational continuity. Specific attention should be paid to “lower tech' solutions such as Interactive Radio Programming and supporting home based learning kits, and to the conducting of a more wide scale, comprehensive connectivity assessment for informing MoE design and rollout of distance learning programming. This would include a better understanding of home dialects that might impact children's receptivity to centrally produced programming.
 A renewed focus on parental engagement during this critical period is especially important for program design and implementation, with data suggesting that especially in urban areas, there are significant rates of background schooling of caregivers, which is key to providing support to children. However, in more rural areas, a much smaller number of family members have education backgrounds. Thus, home or self  learning programs are recommended to be prioritized with the understanding that household level support might be limited, that caregivers might not have educational backgrounds and thus require different modalities of engagement, and finally that children will require additional follow up from teachers at some level, especially in more rural areas. Both fathers and mothers should be encouraged to be engaged in home  based learning design, with attention paid to different supervisory roles of fathers and mothers across urban and rural areas.
The Education in Emergencies Working Group  ( EiEWG )  is also particularly concerned that the planned re introduction of school closures over the 2020 2021 winter would see more than 10 million children's education interrupted again, making the re entry of the most vulnerable children even more challenging later on
The SG  [ Secretary General ]  urges the Government and the Taliban to work with his SRSG  [ Secretary General's Special Representative to Afghanistan ]  and the United Nations in considering the use of the “Practical Guidance for Mediators' in order to include child protection in the peace process.'
HCT  [ Humanitarian Country Team ]  members, led by UNICEF and the HC  [ Humanitarian Coordinator ] , should work to translate the provisions of the  [ Child RIghts Protection ]  Law into regulations, policies and action plans capable of implementation and enforcement in the current context. This requires encouraging increasing commitment and political will so its provisions are used to build the capacity of justice and law enforcement systems and raising the awareness of the right holders about existing provisions;
Households interviewed reported higher than usual rates of school attendance, in non COVID 19 times, of schoolaged boys than girls. 76% of report that all school aged boys go to school, and 10%, some. For households with school aged girls, these numbers stand at 66% and 13%
Moreover, under the COVID 19 crisis gender inequalities are increasing and roles of women and men, girls and boys are also shifting and creating new dynamics which are being shaped by a series of overlapping economic, social and political factors.
Almost 80% of the respondents have mentioned that closure of school has a negative effect on studies. Some mentioned that the children become lazy, they always play outside and are at higher risk of COVID 19, they become reckless and now they get more complaints of children fighting with one another in the neighbourhood.
Awareness generation and provide information about its symptoms, spread and how to prevent and help lines. Everyone wanted medicines to prevent and reduce the spread of COVID 19. Community education and follow up of suspected cases should be done.
 Families in Kabul were concerned that they are not prepared to follow radio and TV programs that are currently supported by the Ministry of Education  ( MoE ) .
Since 01 January 2020, the total number of undocumented returnees from Iran is 719,328 individuals. IOM provided post arrival humanitarian assistance to 1,013  ( 4% )  undocumented Afghans at the IOM Transit Centers in Herat and Nimroz during the past week. 2020 is now on track to become the largest ever return year on record for undocumented Afghan migrants.
7,779 bars of soap were distributed across seven districts throughout the country between 6 and 12 July.
On May 12, an armed attack on the maternity ward of Dasht e Barchi hospital in Kabul reportedly left 24 civilians dead, mostly female patients, and 16 others injured, including children and newborn babies.
In response, some traders diverted their supply routes and used informal borders in Hilmand, which was problematic due to IEDs emplaced along these unpaved roads. The situation escalated on 30 July, when an armed clash erupted between members of Afghan and Pakistani armed forces, killing at least 15 people and wounding another 70.
Due to limited public health resources and testing capacity, lack of people coming forward for testing, as well as the absence of a national death register, confirmed cases of and deaths from COVID 19 are likely to be under reported overall in Afghanistan
Stigma is considered a major factor in people choosing not to get tests and risk communications work is critical to turning this around
Furthermore, WHO notes that the official numbers reported by MOPH are likely not capturing the full scale of the situation since testing remains limited to only the most severe cases. WHO warns that widespread complacency and failure to follow public health advice is creating grave risks in the community with people generally not observing physical distancing or mask wearing protocols.