nlp-thedeep/humsetbias huggingface dataset:
6,019 families  ( 42,170 people )  affected. 224 people injured. 204 fatalities. 72 displaced families  ( 439 people )
Nutrition: Access food/formula for infants: yes 53%, no 47%
WASH  ( water sanitation ) : latrines widely used   57% yes, 43% no; open defecation   59% yes, 41% no
Food, Livestock, and Agriculture  ( damage to livestock shelters ) : 46 moderately damaged, 97 severely damaged, 15 completely damaged, 85 not damaged
Food, Livestock, and Agriculture  ( adequate food stock in market ) : 71% yes, 26% no, 3% no data
Food, Livestock, and Agriculture  ( access to functioning market ) : 78% yes, 21% no, 1% no data
Nominal retail price of wheat grain is 31 AFN/kg. Significantly higher than the two year average.
Nominal retail price of wheat grain is 26 AFN/kg. Higher than the five year average.
Nominal retail price of wheat grain is 27 AFN/kg. Higher than the two year average.
Nominal retail price of wheat flour is 32 AFN/kg. Higher than the two year average.
Nominal retail price of wheat flour is 32 AFN/kg. Significantly higher than the five year average.
Nominal retail price of rice is 35 AFN/kg. Significantly lower than the five year average.
Nominal retail price of cooking oil is 100 AFN/kg. Significantly higher than the five year average.
Nominal retail price of diesel is 36 AFN/kg. Lower than the five year average.
Nominal retail price of diesel is 35 AFN/kg. Significantly lower than the two year average.
Nominal retail price of diesel is 40 AFN/kg. Lower than the two year average.
The applicability of alternative pathways of Ministry of Education  ( distance learning and self learning )  for surveyed projects: BMZ EiE  [ German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development ]    No: 70.5%, Yes: 29.5%
Proportion of population in need with access to at least 15lpcd  [ litres per capita day ]  of drinking water: targeted 2,053,765; responded 957,922
Vulnerable people with humanitarian needs assisted: Out of 2,565,898 beneficiaries, 29% reached with water supply, 6% with sanitation and 79% with hygiene promotion/supplies
A total of 957,922 people in 28 Provinces received water supply services
A total of 210,784 people in 21 Provinces received sanitation services
A total of 2,323,798 people in every province received hygiene services
Relentless conflict and violence continue to kill civilians at an alarming rate, despite Intra Afghan peace negotiations. And now COVID 19 has strained the health system and caused economic devastation.
In Uruzgan province, fighting and airstrikes in Gizab district in Uruzgan province reportedly killed five civilians  ( four women and a child )   ( 23 – 29 November 2020 ) .
Food Security Cluster: 1,274,833 people have been reached with COVID 19 specific food assistance by WFP between 1 March and the first week of December.
Despite the signing of peace deal between the US and the Taliban in February 2020, violent attacks continued only days after the agreement was signed.
Flood affected people are also likely to need access to safe water as their water sources might be damaged and contaminated or they, themselves, become displaced.
: Spring is expected to see a volatile and unpredictable pattern of conflict. Continued and potentially escalating fighting is anticipated, in line with seasonal patterns of conflict each year, and dependent on progress with the peace talks and the planned draw down of international military forces.
The wheat production deficit is expected to be  16 to  27 per cent this year as a result, requiring increased top up from international suppliers.
Current analysis indicates that 25 provinces, which are home to 27.7 million people, will see 13.2 million people in humanitarian in need during the spring planning period.
The immediate and longer term effects of the pandemic in Afghanistan will continue to be felt throughout spring.
Community transmission of COVID 19 due to widespread complacency in the community regarding protective measures such as mask wearing and social distancing threatens to prolong the pandemic and may result in additional waves of infection over the planning period. This may lead to increased morbidity and mortality rates, as well as a return to local and/or regional lockdown measures.
Wheat flour prices decreased in Badghis and Hilmand  ( 3% ) , Takhar  ( 2% )  and Badakhshan  ( less than 1% ) , due to sustained supply.
Cooking Oil: Prices decreased in: Nuristan  ( 5% )  and Hilmand  ( 2% ) , due to sustained supply.
Fertilizer  ( UREA ) : Prices were lowest in Logar, Hilmand and Kandahar  ( AFN 793, 950 and 1,050 per 50 kg bag, respectively ) .
Meanwhile the ToT  [ Casual labor/Wheat Terms of Trade ]  improved in Hilmand and Badghis  ( 2% ) , due to the decreased wheat price.
Given expectations for below average snowpack development, the risk of flooding and landslides during spring months is expected to be lower than usual. However, localized flooding is still possible due to storms.
1,265 returns in 2020: 625 from Iran, 591 from Pakistan, 49 from other countries
Reasons for return to Afghanistan: 20% reported land allocation scheme and/or shelter program
Reasons for return to Afghanistan: 2% reported improved weather conditions for agriculture activitiess
Since 01 January 2020, the total number of undocumented returnees from Iran is 817,326 individuals.
Fighting between ANSF  ( Afghanistan National Security Forces )  and non state armed group  ( NSAG )  continued in the north east. Three civilians were reportedly killed and one person wounded by unknown gunmen in Farkhar district, Takhar province.
In Baghlan province, six civilians were reportedly wounded during armed clashes and airstrikes in Baghlan e Jadid district.
9,784 persons returned voluntarily and 7,433 were deported.
Under Migration Health's Global Fund multi country TB grant, a total of 13,597 undocumented Afghans were screened for tuberculosis in IOM  [ International Organization for Migration ]  Transit Centers over the past week. Of the total screened, 4,397 persons were screened during OPD  [ Out Patient Department ]  consultations, 250 suspects were identified, all 250 were tested and 5 persons were confirmed as positive TB cases.
To ensure the safe return to classes in communities, partners must: Identify a CBE  [ Community Based Education ]  COVID 19 Focal Point in the School Management Shura/Community Education Council  ( CEC )
To ensure the safe return to classes in communities, partners must: Any required remediation and final exam administration from the previous academic year should be documented prior to reopening and coordinated with the EiE WG to avoid further delays.
To ensure the safe return to classes in communities, partners must: Establish follow up protocols for children who are repeatedly absent or who never return to classes once they reopen. Link with School Management Committees/Community Education Councils and include child participation, where appropriate, to check on their classmates.
Every department is fully prepared to struggle problems due to drought. We have shaped different committees to manage disasters caused by drought,' Qassem Haidari, deputy minister of disaster management said. He predicted that the provinces of Herat, Badghis, Ghor, Ghazni and parts of central and northern areas would be mostly affected.
As of 21 January, MoPH data shows that 54,483 people across all 34 provinces in Afghanistan are confirmed to have had COVID 19. Some 46,887 people have recovered, and 2,370 people have died – at least 87 of whom are healthcare workers. Only 234,453 people out of a population of 40.4 million have been tested.
7,536,000 people in crisis acute food insecurity
Seven UNHCR partner staff have supported the Directorate of Refugees and Repatriation  ( DoRR )  with registration and crowd management at the Milak border crossing.
Four in 10 people are now going hungry 3 which means that almost 17 million people are in crisis or emergency levels of food insecurity through March 2021.
12 Mobile HealthTeams and 4 IOM TB/COVID 19 screening teams, consisting of 389 staff, are deployed to major border crossing points by Health Cluster partners.
In the areas projected as most in need, the Cluster anticipates that some 2.46 million people will require access to clean and safe drinking water, sanitation and hygiene facilities.
In February, UNHCR assisted the return of 187 Afghan refugees from Iran  ( 144 ) , Pakistan  ( 39 )  and other countries  ( 4 ) .
While meeting the most vulnerable people's necessities and containing the COVID 19 outbreak is pressing in the short term, planning should start to facilitate the longer economic recovery in the country.
In addition, given the enormity of the problems, the funding and focus given to child protection has consistently been lower than the issue deserves.
The Government of Afghanistan and the international community must support and realise increased and sustained representation and participation of women and girls in decision making processes including ongoing peace negotiations, and the 2020 Afghan Conference.
The Humanitarian Access group  ( HAG )  is working to resolve access issues on behalf of partners.
54,550  ( 25,537 boys and 31,013 girls )  have been provided with adequate hygiene kits  ( like soap, handwashing liquid, etc. )  when the school/CBEs  [ Community Based Education ]  are opened.
27,044  ( 10,899 boys and 16,145 girls )  have been provided with safe and adequate drinking water  ( safe and clean drinking water )  when the school/CBEs  [ Community based education ]  are opened
312,134  ( 176,067 boys and 136,067 girls )  have been reached with prevention and control messages through radio.
UNICEF, with the support of the World Bank and the Government of Japan, has distributed 569,823 units of PPE  [ personal protective equipment ]  directly to health providers nationwide.
81 Mobile Health Teams have been deployed by humanitarian partners to hard to reach areas to provide services to affected people unable to attend static health facilities.
Health Cluster partners' surveillance systems have traced 597,232 people since the start of the crisis.
In Hilmand province, fighting between the Afghan National Security Forces ( ANSF )  and an non state armed group ( NSAG )  was reported in Nahr e Saraj, Lashkargah, Nad e Ali and Nawa e Barakzaiy districts. Airstrikes were also reported in Nawa e Barakzaiy and Nahr e Saraj and clearing operations of improvised explosive devices  ( IEDs )  in the same districts are reportedly ongoing.
An estimated 800 families, or around 5,000 individuals, live in this settlement  ( in Pakistan ) . Many of them work at the nearby vegetable market.
IOM has reached 316,366  ( 204,099 men and 112,267 women )  people with awareness raising sessions on hygiene practices and COVID 19 prevention
85.6% of the respondents reported to have contracted debts
In Kandahar province, the security situation remained volatile mainly in Zheray, Panjwayi, Arghandab, Shah Wali Kot, Arghestan and Shorabak districts. Several roadside IEDs were reportedly discovered and diffused in the Zala Khan area, Panjwayi district. The overall presence of IEDs continued to hinder civilian movements.
Fighting between Afghan National Security Forces and non state armed groups has significantly increased since early 2020 and has been further escalating as intra Afghan peace talks have started in Doha.
• The first policy objective should be to initially contain and then reduce the spread of the virus. • Second, the health sector should be prepared in case the virus reappears in a second wave hopefully with a lower peak than this. • Third, the lack of fiscal space to fight COVID19 can be dealt with domestic revenue mobilization. This will be hard to achieve in the short term through additional revenues therefore the government should explore expenditures switching measures from other sectors ideally through reduction in security spending. In parallel, government can generate revenues through promoting openness in trade and regional cooperation.
Gaps & Constraints: There is a need to improve staff capacity, increase resources and strengthen the fragile health system to better manage severe cases of COVID 19 during the second wave of the pandemic
Government ordered school closure from 14 March 2020 has meant that more than 9.5 million children in public schools and 500,000 children enrolled in community based education  ( CBE ) , in addition to the 3.7 million out of school in Afghanistan, have been out of school for nearly six months.
Fighting between Afghan National Security Forces  ( ANSF )  and a non state armed group  ( NSAG )  continued in the south. In Hilmand province fighting continued in Lashkargah, Nahr e Saraj and Nad e Ali districts with a high threat of Improvised Explosive Devices  ( IED ) .
The nominal retail price of diesel in Kabul was maximum inJanuary 2021 and was minimum in September 2020.
Between 9 November and 13 December, 8,900 people received PSS through various modalities across 9 provinces. Since the start of the pandemic, some 310,026 people across 20 provinces received PSS to help them cope with the psycho social related consequences of COVID 19.
To ensure the continuation of nutrition services, Nutrition Cluster partners need resources to recruit and deploy additional Mobile Health and Nutrition Teams  ( MHNT ) .
In a deteriorating trend from the beginning of the year, findings of the most recent nutrition surveys show that 27 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 ) . The nutrition outlook for the remainder of the year remains bleak. Recent analysis by the Nutrition cluster revealed an increase of nutrition needs by 16 per cent compared to June 2020.Additionally, a staggering 15.3 per cent of infants under six months are affected by wasting, 6.2 per cent of whom are severely wasted
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. 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.
Protection Cluster:310,026 people received psychosocial support to cope with the mental health effects of COVID 19. 790 children received COVID 19 story books. 276,308 people received community based awareness raising on the protection of children and positive coping mechanisms during the COVID 19 pandemic.
Between 9 November and 13 December, 5 handwashing stations have been set up at the community level. A total of 3,269 handwashing stations have been set up at the community level in 66 districts across 21 provinces since the start of the crisis.
29,598 hygiene kits – which include hygiene supplies such as soap for hand washing, bathing and laundry – were distributed during the reporting period, reaching 126,810 people across 9 districts. 189,802 hygiene kits have been distributed since the start of the crisis, reaching 1,144,882 people.
A joint UN Women and IRC survey conducted in September revealed an increase in time spent by women and girls collecting water compared to pre COVID 19 levels, potentially increasing their risk of exposure to the virus. 40 per cent of the consulted IDPs, 45 per cent of returnees and 27 per cent of host community members reported an increased time required to procure water.
RCCE work has focused on maintaining health services, combatting stigma, promoting physical distancing and mitigating complacency among people continues across the country. During the reporting period, Health Cluster partners continued risk communication messaging on physical distancing and home based care
Education Cluster: 100,674 children across 11 provinces received IEC materials on COVID 19 preventative measures. 318,970 children across 4 provinces sensitised on COVID 19 and preventive measures through TV and radio.
Emergency Shelter & NFI Cluster:182,663 face masks distributed by ES NFI Cluster partners across 4 provinces. 771 religious leaders received COVID 19 awareness raising training to disseminate key messages to the community.10 family tents, 4 multi purpose tents and 81 refugee housing units  ( RHUs )  distributed across 5 provinces for screening, admission, outpatient treatment, storage, accommodation/duty stations for doctors and other medical personnel, as well as registration spaces for Afghanistan nationals newly returning from Iran
Emergency Shelter & NFI Cluster: 596,399 people in 16 provinces reached with ES NFI awareness raising sessions on prevention of COVID 19.12,807 IEC materials distributed across 9 provinces. 1,304 NFI kits distributed across 6 provinces to families at risk from COVID 19
WASH Cluster: More than 29,500 people at the Islam Qala border crossing, 114,679 people at the Milak crossing and 16,100 people at the Torkham border crossing benefitted from WASH facility maintenance and the provision of water. 3,269 hand washing stations set up at the community level in 66 districts across 21 provinces. 739 hand washing stations set up in health facilities across 27 districts. 48 hand washing stations set up in schools across 9 districts
Among the provinces covered in the survey for this RGA, Kabul has the highest cases, with 14,007 confirmed cases, followed by Herat, Balkh, Kandahar, and Paktia, with 5,190, 1,764, 1,334 and 1,143 confirmed cases respectively.The remaining provinces, Ghazni, Khost, Parwan, and Kapisa, have lower confirmed cases of 502, 395, 357, and 201 cases respectively
The gap in information dissemination in Torkham which was very high in August  ( 74% )  and September  ( 63% )  has improved  ( 40% )  subsequent to UNHCR's follow up with partners and with the adoption of a more regular border opening schedule from 28 September. In general, the information gap was mainly the result of the limited opening of the border for pedestrian movements, which created an overcrowded situation as thousands of people tried to cross at once. Such a situation led to reduced attention to services provided by partners, including health screening and information dissemination about COVID 19. However, it should be noted that close to 90% of the interviewed returnees in Torkham confirmed that they had received information about COVID 19 in the CoPR.
The information gap in Spin Boldak has slightly increased since the re opening of the border  ( 21 August )  due to increased population movement to/from Afghanistan. This gap is, again, related to the overcrowded situation and the fact that returnees are not focused on services, including awareness raising about COVID 19. UNHCR will continue to raise this matter with partners. Overall, the provision of information upon arrival in the border entry points, has improved  ( from 70% to 83% )  since May/June.
11,304,000 people in stressed acute food insecurity
8,792,000 people in minimal acute food insecurity
3,454,000 people in emergency acute food insecurity
To ensure the safe return to classes in communities, partners must: Update existing referral system and/or develop new referral pathway which includes identification of illness  ( of student or teacher )  to minimise transmission to classmates  ( see MEAL )
To ensure the safe return to classes in communities, partners must: Partners should ensure that they understand how to adapt the MoE curriculum to condense the academic year, if necessary, which may include modified assessments. Teachers should be fully trained on how to deliver a condensed curriculum and how to identify those who need remediation prior to beginning classes.
Because children have been out of school since March and families have experienced income loss, food insecurity, and stress, children may have been engaged in negative coping skills such as child labor, begging, early marriage, and other forms of exploitation and abuse. Children who are still engaged in these coping mechanisms may not return to school without support. Children who do return to school may require psychosocial support from their experiences during lockdown. These are all key considerations for a successful Back to School Campaign.
To ensure the safe return to classes in communities, partners must: Develop detailed protocols  ( through the engagement of community and PED/DED )  on hygiene measures, including handwashing, use of protective equipment, physical distancing, classes facilitated in shifts, and cleaning procedures for facilities  ( including drinking water )  )
Assessments conducted by education partners reveal that the majority of children in hard to reach areas cannot access the prescribed TV and radio distance learning modalities. Therefore, because of the inequitable access to alternative learning pathways, delaying school reopening for CBE  [ Community Based Education ]  classes may contribute to long term negative repercussions associated with school drop out.
Education in Emergencies  ( EiE )  partners operate in hard to reach areas in Afghanistan where people regularly experience man made and natural disasters which compound high levels of poverty, lack of telecommunication services and electricity, and illiteracy. These challenges negatively impact continuity of learning for CBE students, who by definition cannot reach government public schools, during the school closure period.
The MoE has recently released a School Reopening Plan, which includes provisions for public schools to safely reopen, in line with Ministry of Public Health  ( MoPH )  requirements. This plan places CBE classes under the umbrella of ‘public schools', as they operate under the formal system; however, while primary public schools feature large class sizes and crowding that prohibits safe reopening, CBE classes are capped at 35 students and can feasibly implement MoPH guidelines for safe reopening. This framework outlines the Education in Emergencies Working Group  ( EiE WG )  plan for reopening CBE classes2 in line with MoPH guidelines to enable the 0.5 million CBE enrolled students to continue their education as soon as possible
To respond to the COVID 19 public health emergency, the MoE has developed an Alternative Education Plan  ( 7 May 2020 )  for continuation of education delivery for children across Afghanistan. The focus of the MoE plan is on alternative learning pathways, which provide children with continued access to education through the use of television, radio, smartphones or mobile phones, and teaching in small groups with strict attention to hygiene and preventive behaviours, such as physical distancing. The plan recommends three options for continuity of learning  ( 1 )  self learning,  ( 2 )  distance learning, and  ( 3 )  small group learning. Small group learning has been disallowed as of 10 June by order of the President's Office
Over 200 health staff are presently deployed to support the Ministry of Public Health's Response efforts in 5 provinces. Over 500 community health workers have also been trained on COVID awareness and personal protective measures in Nimroz, Helmand, Herat, Kandahar and Nangarhar.
Return from Pakistan: According to the Directorate of Refugees, 5,001 undocumented Afghans have returned from Pakistan since 01 January 2020. Over the past week 231 undocumented Afghans returned from Pakistan through the Torkham  ( 6 returnees )  and Spin Boldak  ( 147 returnees and 78 deportees )  borders.
IOM  [ International Organization for Migration ]  support activities include training for frontline health workers, deployment of staffing to areas of need including placement in health facilities, secondment of staff to cross border surveillance, material support of PPE  [ Personal Protective Equipment ]  and other equipment, ambulance based referral services, distribution of MOPH  [ Ministry of Public Health ]  WHO IEC  [ Information, Education, Communication ]  materials and community level awareness raising and sensitization efforts through health education sessions including within Displacement Tracking Matrix focus group discussions in 11,768 settlements across 34 provinces.
Over the past week  ( Sept 20 26, 2020 )  26,801 undocumented Afghans returned from Iran with 5% of returnees from Iran  ( 1,336 individuals )  assisted
576,801 total returns from Iran and Pakistan since 01 January 2020.
The nominal retail price of wheat grain in Hirat is maximum in January 2021 and was minimum in September 2020.
According to the Border Monitoring Team of the Directorate of Refugees and Repatriation  ( DoRR ) , a total of 26,801 Afghans returned from Iran through the Nimroz  ( Milak )  and Herat  ( Islam Qala )  borders between 20 26 Sep 2020, a 23% increase from the previous week  ( 21,781 ) . 13,217 persons returned voluntarily and 13,584 were deported
Some 9,650 returnees, IDPs, and people from host communities were reached with emergency outpatient health services; and 660 children were vaccinated to protect them against polio and measles. This week, 10 mobile health teams provided nutrition support to people affected by conflict and natural disasters in Nangarhar and Kunar provinces. Among 2,098 children under five screened, 62 children suffered from severe acute malnutrition  ( SAM )  and 194 children suffered from moderate acute malnutrition  ( MAM ) . The severe cases were admitted to the therapeutic feeding centres for treatment.
The nominal retail price of wheat flour in Jalalabad is maximum in October and November 2020 and was minimum in September 2020.
The nominal retail price of wheat flour in Nili is maximum in January 2021 and was minimum in September 2020.
Cross cutting consideration and support to ensure CEA as well as protection, gender and inclusion  ( PGI )  at all times.
There are 27 points of entry closed for both entry and exit.
There are ten points of entry open for both entry and exit
14 points of entry have presence of Ministry of Public Health authority staff
Governments and donors must significantly increase and maintain funding for child protection programming and child protection systems to prevent long term irreversible consequences for children as a result of both COVID 19 and pre existing risks.
The services to prevent, report, respond, care and support have been restricted due to the current emergency
On 9 November, a mortar round hit a house and resulted in the death of five civilians and wounded four others in Imam Sahib district.
As of 4 February, MoPH data shows that 55,256 people across all 34 provinces in Afghanistan are confirmed to have had COVID 19. Some 47,995 people have recovered, and 2,407 people have died – at least 87 of whom are healthcare workers. Only 258,011 people out of a population of 40.4 million have been tested.
Despite a recently concluded power sharing agreement on 17 May and a peace deal between the United States and the Taliban in February, the IDMC reports nearly three million people are internally displaced due to conflict, violence is escalating around the country, and humanitarian spaces remain targets, a situation underlined by the shocking attack on the Médecins Sans Frontières  ( MSF )  maternity hospital in Kabul on 13 May.
Fighting between Afghan National Security Forces  ( ANSF )  and a non state armed group  ( NSAG )  continued in Hilmand, Kandahar, Uruzgan and Zabul provinces. Sporadic armed clashes continued in Shah Joi, Tarnak Wa Jaldak, Mizan and Arghandab districts in Zabul province.
As of 25 February, MoPH data shows that 55,693 people across all 34 provinces in Afghanistan are confirmed to have had COVID 19.Some 49,281 people have recovered, and 2,441 people have died – at least 91 of whom are healthcare workers.
Overall, in 2020, eight humanitarians were killed and another 19 wounded due to military operations and kinetic activity, compared to nine killed and 11 wounded in 2019. Humanitarians were not a direct target but continued to be collaterally impacted by ongoing fighting between ANSF  ( Afghan National Security Force )  and NSAG TB.
Household ability to meet needs: Electric and water bills   Not at all: 26%, Partially: 20%, Fully: 24%, Not Applicable: 31%
Additionally, USAID/BHA partner the UN Food and Agricultural Organization  ( FAO )  provides households with seeds and livestock feed to bolster agricultural livelihoods recovery and resilience. USAID/BHA also supports coordination and capacity building activities among food security actors in Afghanistan to strengthen response efforts.
Household ability to meet needs: Soap, cleaning detergents   Not at all: 20%, Partially: 71%, Fully: 5%, Not Applicable: 4%
Ongoing needs: While implementing activities to mitigate against the spread of COVID 19, humanitarian partners are also continuing to respond to other ongoing and emerging humanitarian needs. During the reporting period, 6,345 women received antenatal and postnatal care through midwives deployed in Mobile Health Teams  ( MHTs ) . 1,432 people were treated for trauma care and 788 children under the age of 5 years received routine immunisation through MHTs. 18,686 children aged 6 59 months received treatment for Severe Acute Malnutrition  ( SAM )  and 33,806 children aged 6 59 months received treatment for Moderate Acute Malnutrition  ( MAM ) .
There is urgent need to ensure continued distribution of medical and protective equipment to all corners of the country.
The health and socio economic impacts of the COVID 19 pandemic have seen the number of people in need almost double in the past year alone. Afghanistan now has the second highest number of people in emergency food insecurity in the world  ( 5.5 million ) , while nearly one in two children under five will face acute malnutrition in 2021.
The revised Afghanistan Humanitarian Response Plan  ( HRP )  for 2018 2021 identifies 18.4 million people in humanitarian need in 2021, as a result of COVID 19, ongoing conflict and natural disasters.
While 22 laboratories are now operating in Afghanistan – with plans to scale up to at least one laboratory per province by June 2021 – the capacity of these facilities remains limited and stocks of supplies have periodically run out. National capacity for COVID 19 testing has reached 8,500 samples a day however these laboratories are not being fully utilised.
There is also higher proportion of non functioning schools due to damage, disaster, conflict and loss of teachers.
Survey participants also experienced the loss of income, as their engagement in different income generating activities has declined or reduced due to lockdown measures
As highlighted in graph one, participation in daily labour activities has declined significantly, before the pandemic, 155 survey participants  ( 37.4% women and 62.6% men )  used to engage in daily labour to generate income. After the pandemic, only 93  ( 46.2% women and 53.8% men )  of them continued to work. Out of the 62 who lost their daily labour work, 47 are men, and 15 are women. Daily labour was a significant income generating activity for both men and women in rural and urban area
An ANSF airstrike in Balkh on 11 May, which killed nine civilians and injured 13 while they were being forced by the Taliban to destroy a road to block ANSF.
IDPs reported concerns shared by host community members that children are being abducted and/or kidnapped  ( unconfirmed )  in the village resulting to fear for their children's safety.
On 16 March in Khan Abad district of Kunduz province, eight civilians  ( including six boys )  were killed and two girls sustained injuries when the Afghan National Army shot artillery rounds from a base targeting Taliban positions, which impacted civilians gathered outside a shop.
The Taliban made public statements on 16 and 18 March indicating that they would work with international organizations in combatting COVID 19, and would facilitate the movement of medical equipment, medicine and aid to areas under its control.14 However, after these statements were made, UNAMA documented two incidents impacting healthcare, both of which involved the Taliban. On 22 March 2020, in Kunar province, Chapadara district, a group of Taliban fighters abducted five health workers and their driver who were in the area to evaluate a health facility, holding them for two days until they were released through the mediation of tribal elders.
On 24 March 2020, in Takhar province, Dasht e Qala district, fighting erupted be tween Taliban and Afghan national security forces in the area. The firefight started near a hospital and continued for three hours with Taliban and Afghan national security forces using indirect fire. One rocket fired by the Taliban impacted a bazaar in the district center, killing a 14 year old boy and injuring three other civilians including two boys. The local hospital sustained damage due to the close proximity of the fighting.
Floods have resulted in the loss of shelters and productive assets, causing displacement and increasing food insecurity.
Civilian casualties of the Afghan Air Force are often caused when airstrikes hit civilian homes, causing, on average, more than five civilian casualties per civilian casualty incident. More than six out of 10 civilian casualties in such airstrikes are women and children.
UNAMA is gravely concerned with the acceleration in violence observed in March, mainly by the Taliban against Afghan national security forces, and the consequent increase in the number of civilian casualties and harm caused, particularly in the northern and north eastern regions. This concerning trend was all the more notable as it followed a ‘reduction in violence' week   22 February to 28 February   between the Pro Government Forces and the Taliban that then led to the agreement signed between the United States and the Taliban on 29 February
Failure to address livelihoods often results in the failure of resettlement schemes as residents abandon settlement sites and relocate to central areas where livelihood opportunities are located  ( OHCHR, 2012 ) . This sub optimal outcome has manifest in past resettlement schemes in Afghanistan, including the cases of Barikab and Mamozai townships  ( including around 2,500 households )  on Kabul's outskirts. Hence, there is a demonstrable need for livelihood support to secure sustainable settlement sites for Afghan IDPs and returnees.
Health education is given but lack any medical equipment.
The SRSG  [ Secretary General's Special Representative to Afghanistan ] , RC  [ Resident Coordinator ] , HC  [ Humanitarian Coordinator ]  and HCT  [ Humanitarian Country Team ]  members should supplement and support existing efforts to ensure stronger advocacy including through a dialogue with government on respecting the provision of the 2007 Principles and Guidelines on Children Associated with Armed Forces or Armed Groups.
182,663 face masks distributed by ES NFI Cluster partners across 4 provinces.
The SRSG  [ Secretary General's Special Representative to Afghanistan ] , RC  [ Resident Coordinator ] , HC  [ Humanitarian Coordinator ]  and HCT  [ Humanitarian Country Team ]  members should supplement and support existing efforts to ensure stronger advocacy including through a dialogue with government on strengthening the MRM  [ Monitoring and Reporting Mechanism ]  system so reporting pathways are clear to all Clusters and confidence in the system increases as reports of parties held accountable becomes transparent.
IDPs were slightly more likely than others to report buying less food  ( 54%, compared to 49% overall ) .
COVID 19 was declared a global pandemic on March 11th 2020.
CP AoR  [ Child Protection Area of Responsibility ]  and PC  [ Protection Cluster ]  identify for HCT  [ Humanitarian Country Team ]  members how to best support UNAMA  [ UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan ]  Human Rights and other interlocutors engaged with the Commission to facilitate efforts to reunite children and their families upon demobilisation;
Identify how they can complement and support the emergency and humanitarian effort to contribute to the country's recovery and resilience through gender responsive and transformative livelihood, economic, and education programmes, especially targeting women and girls and youth
Fourth, given the domestic revenue mobilization is unlikely to fill the gap, the government should aggressively seek additional donor money. With security spending reaching around 30 percent of GDP, there is already limited fiscal space for emergency health interventions. • Fifth, there will be a need to increasing social protection, given the tight fiscal situation and institutional constraints and limited effectiveness of targeting. 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. Under this condition, the most promising universal benefit can be to grant a social pension to the elderly. In terms of more targeting measures, a promising measure may be public works for poor households in poor regions.
A total of 44,303 people received humanitarian assistance including IDPs, undocumented returnees, and people who receive food as part of seasonal support.
Interagency assessment teams identified 19,418 people to receive immediate humanitarian assistance in the east.
Total Requirements: $108.1m • Requirement for activities already costed but not funded in the HRP: $36.9m • New requirements: $71.2m
During the first half of 2020, Paktika recorded one NGO incident on 20 May 2020, in the Pir Koti area of Urgun district. AOG  [ Armed Opposition Group ]  members stopped an NGO vehicle with on duty NGO staff accusing the staff members of not having obtained a permit to enter the AOG controlled area. following mediation by tribal elders, the AOG members released the NGO staff members but kept the NGO vehicle. After negotiations AOG member released the NGO vehicle on the next day. The incident is assessed to be related to miscommunication.
These factors, combined with COVID 19 related interruptions to informal employment, are driving people into crippling debt. Data from the Whole of Afghanistan Assessment shows that household debt is rapidly escalating. For displaced households in debt, the primary reason for taking on this debt was to pay for food  ( 53 per cent ) .
Testing capacities are limited and there is no systematic or representative sample testing.
The officially recorded number of COVID 19 cases have reached 20,342 out of a total tested case of 47,327 ( 8 June 2020 ) . The International Rescue Committee  ( IRC )  estimates that 40% of the tests are positive, which is one of the highest in the world.
Nearly 2.5 million Afghans live in Pakistan as either registered or undocumented refugees.
( 29 November–05 December 2020 ) In 2020, 516,921 patients have been served by IOM's Migration Health Unit in Nimroz, Helmand, Ghor, Herat, Kandahar and Nangarhar provinces with basic health care  outpatient consultations, maternal, child and neo natal health care, reproductive health, family planning and COVID 19 response. Programming is supported by the UK FCDO, the Governments of Japan, Canada, Germany, DG ECHO, CERF, the Afghanistan Humanitarian Fund and the United States' Bureau for Population, Refugees and Migration  ( BPRM ) .
From 2018 2021, the number of people in need of shelter and NFI assistance has increased from 1.3 million to 6.6 million people.
Households in remote and hard to reach areas, particularly where children's right to education is less institutionalised, may be slower to re enrol children in schooling, as COVID 19 may have precipitated child labour and other forms of exploitation during the closure period.
The worsening nutrition situation developing at the end of 2020 is expected to continue into 2021, with 27 of the country's 34 provinces already considered to be in an ‘emergency' nutrition situation that will take some time to turn around, depending on whether funding and treatment are available and accessible. Any further worsening of the food security and nutrition situation will also depend on La Niña impacts and the timing of rainfall.
COVID 19 related interruptions to services can have catastrophic consequences for people with acute conditions such as malnutrition. Once treatment is disrupted, people must re start from the beginning for the nutrition treatment to be effective, often with deeper health complications and higher chances of morbidity and mortality.
Based on WHO projections, the HNO assumes that 195,000 people will require hospitalisation as a result of acute symptoms from COVID 19.
Similarly, in ceasefires or as part of demobilisation processes, GBV risks are likely to rise. There is a risk that limited but hard won gains in women's rights may be a casualty of the peace process and strong advocacy is underway by the international community to emphasise the critical importance of protecting these gains for the future of Afghanistan.
Household ability to meet needs: Didactic materials and school kits   Not at all: 34%, Partially: 60%, Fully: 3%, Not Applicable: 2%
Household ability to meet needs: Other education materials so children can learn remotely   Not at all: 63%, Partially: 25%, Fully: 1%, Not Applicable: 11%
Household ability to meet needs: Medicines  ( drugs )  for chronically ill persons  Not at all: 49%, Partially: 35%, Fully: 1%, Not Applicable: 14%
Household ability to meet needs: Food   Not at all: 7%, Partially: 78%, Fully: 16%, Not Applicable: 0%
Natural disasters regularly affect various parts of the country, with those in the capital, the south east, and east bearing the brunt in 2020. Flooding in Parwan was especially severe. The number of people impacted by floods in 2020 is significantly lower than 2019.
Now, 100 per cent of undocumented returnees are considered in need of assistance, up from 20 per cent in 2019.
Armed clashes between Afghan National Security Forces  ( ANSF )  and a non state armed group  ( NSAG )  continued with airstrikes and Improvised Explosive Device  ( IED )  detonations mainly in Kandahar, Hilmand, Zabul and Uruzgan provinces.
During the reporting period, 734 people displaced from different provinces to Farah province and Chaghcharan city in Ghor province in the last three months were identified to receive humanitarian assistance in the coming days.
The access environment is expected to remain challenging in the coming months. Interferences with the implementation of humanitarian activities by all parties to the conflict are expected to continue, with principled humanitarian action and local level engagement with conflict actors essential tools to address these issues.
UN agencies in Afghanistan are strongly committed to work together, driven by the government under Afghanistan Food Security and Nutrition Agenda  ( AFSeN A )  and coordinating with key ministries, to develop and operationalise a roadmap for Afghanistan.
The assessment focused on identifying the immediate needs that beneficiaries have in terms of food security, health, protection etc. The findings indicate that the most critical need of the families are; Need for food 88%
Analysis of the suggestions provided by the respondents in terms of potential solution to the listed problems shows that mostly suggested solutions are distribution of food packages  ( 83.4% ) .
In regard to household's coping strategies with the impacts of decrease or loss of income; the findings show that 39% of the households reported that they borrow from neighbors or relatives as a coping measure
Regarding the households' debt, 85.6% of the respondents reported to have contracted debts. Out of those households who reported that they have debts; 91.7%  ( n=321 out of 350 )  indicated that their debt has increased since the COVID 19 outbreak while 7.7% mentioned that it has not been changed and only 0.6% reported that it has decreased.
771 religious leaders received COVID 19 awareness raising training to disseminate key messages to the community by ES NFI partners .
• 2,742 community health and first aid volunteers across 30 provinces trained in psychosocial first aid and risk communication by health cluster partners.
• More than 5.5m bars of soap distributed in 379 districts across the country by WASH partners.
• 3,290,906 people reached with WASH assistance including through hygiene promotion, handwashing and distribution of hygiene kits by WASH partners.
Ongoing hostilities across large parts of the country, including ground engagements, aerial operations, landmines and indiscriminate use of IEDs, often suicide attacks, have continued to cause extreme levels of physical and psychological harm.
In terms of the availability of the basic item in the market, the survey findings suggest that most of the items such as fresh food and hygiene items are either some of the time or always available except for essential medicine that almost is available.
There has been a linear decrease in terms of access to the facilities/ services before and since the outbreak as access to hospitals dropped from 48 to 33%. Similarly, access to community health centers dropped from 45 to 33%. Same was observed for accessing maternal centers, which dropped from 41 to 28%. This suggest that all essential health services are not accessible for the households during needed times.
Households were asked to indicate how reduced income affected the health, education and social wellbeing of their family members. Sending children to other relatives was also reported by 8.3% of the households and early marriage of girls by 5.9%.
Households were asked to indicate how reduced income affected the health, education and social wellbeing of their family members. This is to mention that activities such as asking help from other people and friends was indicated by the respondents as well.
The respondents were asked to provide number of meals daily consumed by children and adults before and since the COVID 19 outbreak. Among adults, there is almost a 10% decrease in having three regular meals per day  ( from 98.8 before to 79.7% since outbreak ) .
In terms of access to the essential services, restriction on some services were reported to be decreased while for some it increased. As for the cash and food assistance there is a decrease in restriction from 57% of 40%.
In terms of availability of food items cereal and tubers were among the most reported  ( 84% )  as well as energy dense food such as oil and sugar  ( 67% ) . The lowest reported available food is vegetables and fruits  ( 18% ) .
In terms of access to water for sanitation facilities, 37.5% reported full availability while 57.5% reported partial availability of water for these type of usage.
In terms of access to the essential services, restriction on some services were reported to be decreased while for some it increased. As for shelter there are no significant changes before or after COVID 19 outbreak.
The findings of the assessment indicate the critical child protection issues that communities are facing in western part of Afghanistan which requires urgent actions. Not reported directly, however, the high level of aggressiveness among adults might indicate to violence against children, which needs targeted interventions and set up of safe and effective referral mechanism.
Survey respondents were also asked whether they are able to provide basic needs to their children such as food, shelter and medical care. Almost half  ( 48% )  of the respondents mentioned that they are sometimes able to provide these basic needs while the rest  [ 31% ]  indicated always or often.
The assessment focused on identifying the immediate needs that beneficiaries have in terms of food security, health, protection etc. Access to medicine and healthcare 61%
The assessment focused on identifying the immediate needs that beneficiaries have in terms of food security, health, protection etc. Water Sanitation and hygiene items and access to water 47.7%.
The need for health services and medicine was also highlighted by the respondents as one of the very urgent needs.
The most recent nutrition surveys in Afghanistan show that an estimated two million children under five will suffer from the most life threatening form of extreme hunger annually.
Insecurity is the other challenge for the health system, and it would make it hard for MoPH  [ Ministry of Public Health ]  to implement preventive, curative, and virus containment measures in areas under control of Anti Government Elements  ( AGE ) .