nlp-thedeep/humsetbias huggingface dataset:
Foreign currency denominated loans as a share of total loans decreased by two percentage points from 49.3 percent to 47.3 percent. Credit to the private sector is expected to have further declined in recent months driven by lower demand for credit and increased risk aversion of banks.
The geographic distribution of health centres in the country is uneven and insufficient to meet need.
The September 2020 SFSA found that while nearly half of the households owned livestock, their herd size had significantly decreased, down by 14 per cent overall, 16 per cent for small ruminants  ( sheep and goats ) , 14 per cent for buffalos and 4 per cent for cattle and yak.
The prevalence of catastrophic levels of debt  ( more than 65,000 AFN )  is pronounced with 17 per cent of assessed households considered to be at this level.
Access is further reduced by a deteriorating safety environment for beneficiaries and humanitarian agencies alike, and the period has seen an increase in targeted attacks on health sector service providers  ( 71 reported by UNOCHA HAG during from January to July 2020 ) .
Food prices increased by around four percent, mainly driven by increased cereal prices due to rising global prices, despite strong recovery in domestic production.
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations  ( FAO ) / Ministry of Agriculture, Irrigation and Livestock  ( MAIL )  survey shows limited harvesting impact, but significant processing impact. The analysis indicates that despite the substantial logistical disruptions due to COVID 19, challenges to harvesting of wheat, fruits and vegetables have been so far limited.
COVID 19 has silenced GBV, particularly by decreasing accessibility to service provision centers.
During the last winter  ( 2019 20 ) , 60 per cent of households were unable to heat their shelter sufficiently, with more than a third of households resorting to burning plastic or other harmful materials.
Reports from Hilmand province indicate that families displaced due to the recent conflict may be exposed to COVID 19 and protection risks due to challenges for physical distancing and the cold weather.
By the end of 2020, the Humanitarian Action for Children appeal still had a funding gap of 41 per cent against the appeal. Under funded programmes include education and health for their regular emergency programmes. Despite some regular emergency programmes and COVID 19 response being complementary, the inadequate funds compromise UNICEF's efforts to provide timely and effective humanitarian actions overall.
Each month, some 97 civilians are either killed or injured by mines, including improvised mines, and explosive remnants of war. Children remain the predominant victims of these IEDs.
The Oxfam multi sectoral analysis in 2020 mentioned shows a more than 51 per cent increase in protection and GBV issues during COVID 19, while 61 per cent of the same respondents reported an absence of community outreach and awareness raising on GBV topics.
[ Key COVID 19 Cumulative Response Figures / WASH Sector ]  3,264 handwashing stations set up at the community level in 64 districts across 20 provinces. 739 handwashing stations set up in health facilities across 27 districts. 48 handwashing stations set up in schools across 9 districts by health cluster.
Mine Action Partners also mainstreamed COVID 19 awareness raising messages into their material wherever possible. Between January and June 2020, partners delivered Explosive ordnance risk education  ( EORE )  to 270,841 returnees and IDPs in Nimroz, Hirat, Nangarhar, Kandahar and Kabul provinces.
In April 2020, the HAG  [ Humanitarian Access Group ]  developed a COVID 19 Access Strategy, highlighting new access risks stemming from the pandemic and its response.
To mitigate the pandemic's adverse effects on the nutritional status and subsequent well being of children, the Nutrition Cluster expanded the age group of children targeted under its BSF programme – up to five years old. The Cluster also expanded its reach for infant and young child feeding  ( IYCF )  assistance to include children at risk of malnutrition.
In the beginning of 2020, a HAG  [ Humanitarian Access Group ]  working group developed a series of training modules to roll out the JOPs  [ Joint Operating Principles ]  to the humanitarian community, donors and parties to the conflict. While the outbreak of COVID 19 has postponed the start of the trainings, partners increasingly refer to the JOPs when engaging with conflict actors, signalling greater familiarity with and acceptance of the JOPs.
From January to June 2020, FSAC  ( Food Security and Agriculture Cluster )  partners reached 4.1 million people with assistance  ( 42 per cent of the 9.7 million people they planned to reach in the revised HRP ) . Life saving food assistance was provided to 3.2 million people and livelihood protection assistance was provided to 1 million people.
Many Afghans do not have access to TV, radio, and electricity. This means that many children have remained without schooling, especially in rural areas, despite the  ( Education in Emergencies Working Group )  EiEWG's best efforts to support alternatives. Such gaps in education negatively affect children's cognitive development and often result in reluctance and inability to reintegrate back into schools, the longer time passes. Evidence suggests that discontinuation in education – in many cases – leads to permanent dropout.
Health facilities across the country continue to report shortfalls in PPE  [ personal protective equipment ] , medical supplies and equipment, further challenging their capacity to treat COVID 19 patients.
Refugee returnees receive a multi purpose cash grant  ( on average USD 250 per person )  and other services at Encashment Centers  ( ECs )  located in Herat, Kandahar, Kabul, and Nangarhar provinces from UNHCR.
According to OCHA, 400,110 individuals were displaced by conflict in 2020, across 32 of 34 provinces in Afghanistan. Throughout 2020, most of displacements occurred in the northeastern, northern, and southern provinces.
In partnership with 15 national and international NGOs, a total of 137,583 children and adult  ( 62,563 women/girls )  benefitted from child protection services including community based psychosocial support through door to door service provision.
In 2021, some 8.8 million people will need water, sanitation and hygiene assistance. Of these, some 8 million will require safe drinking water; 8.3 million hygiene materials and practices; 4.2 million emergency sanitation options; 4.5 WASH items; and 1.2 million WASH in schools, health facilities, feeding centres and child friendly spaces.
Added to this  ( conflict and it's after effects )  are now the overwhelming needs caused by COVID 19 that are wreaking havoc not only on people's physical health but also their mental and financial wellbeing.
Partners have provided food, emergency shelter and NFIs, WASH items, multi purpose cash and water through water tankering.
Ensure waste are disposed safely when caring for suspected or confirmed case at home  ( set up system to avoid contact with potentially contaminated waste ) .
Support provision of soap, disinfectant, chlorine, mops, buckets and waste bins for cleaning, disinfection and waste management.
As the cost of supplies is not covered under SEHATMANDI, RUTF  [ ready to use therapeutic foods ]  for the treatment of severe and moderate wasting is dependent on off budget and emergency short term funding.
In 2018, approximately 120 people per month were killed or injured by landmines, ERW and/or landmines of an improvised nature in Afghanistan. These figures made Afghanistan the country with the highest number of recorded landmine and ERW casualties in 2018, as it was in 2017.
An immediate priority in the pilot locations will be to see how community engagement approaches can be integrated into existing mobile health and other outreach teams to ensure that these teams can conduct effective mobile RCCE  [ Risk Communication and Community Engagement ]  activities to reduce the spread of COVID 19 and other highly contagious diseases.
The WoA  [ Whole of Afghanistan ]  Assessment confirms displaced people's confidence in the stability of markets and their desire to receive assistance via cash if possible.
OCHA  [ Organization for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs ]  and REACH  [ Relief Effort to Afghan Communities and Households  ( World Bank )  ]  Initiative have committed to enhancing the representation of women in the household level quantitative surveys for the WoA  [ Whole of Afghanistan ]  Assessment in 2020.
Key COVID 19 Cumulative Response Figures: 4,584,364 people reached with risk communication and community engagement messages.
Protection mainstreaming continues to be a mandatory consideration in approved country based pooled fund projects across all sectors. The Protection Cluster supports with reviews of all projects to ensure that mandatory protection elements such as avoiding causing harm, prioritisation of safety and dignity, AAP  [ Accountability to Affected Populations ] , and participation and empowerment of affected people are sufficiently reflected in project proposals.
Four decades of war have left Afghanistan riddled with landmines and other explosive hazards  ( new and old ) , exposing civilians to daily risks. Two and a half million people in Afghanistan now live within one kilometre of areas known to be polluted with explosive hazards and in need of immediate mine clearance. In 2018, approximately 120 people per month were killed or injured by landmines, ERW and/or landmines of an improvised nature in Afghanistan. These figures made Afghanistan the country with the highest number of recorded landmine and ERW casualties in 2018, as it was in 2017.
The UN Secretary General voiced particular concern about the 82 per cent increase in the number of child casualties in 2015 2018, compared to the previous four years.Nearly 12,600 children were verified to have been killed or injured in 2015 2018 predominantly from ground engagements, explosive remnants of war and aerial attacks. This figure represents almost one third of all civilian casualties. Overall deaths from air strikes have significantly increased since 2015, reversing the downward trend of the four preceding years. Some 1,049 child casualties were recorded as a result of air strikes in 2015 2018, including 464 children killed. From 2015 2018 armed groups were responsible for 43 per cent of child casualties   3,450 killed and 9,149 wounded.
Of the 73,00 trauma cases seen in the first nine months of 2019, 18 per cent of patients died. At the same time, 47 per cent of the trauma patients were left with permanent disability.
In comparison to 2019, the number of people in need of Shelter and NFI assistance has increased from 1 million to 3.68 million and included acutely vulnerable people who may have been displaced for longer than 3 months, in line with the course correction in humanitarian planning in Afghanistan that revised the way humanitarian action was viewed.
Out Migrants are Afghans who have moved or fled abroad from the assessed location, whatever the cause, reason or duration of expatriation. This category includes refugees, displaced and uprooted people, and economic migrants who have left Afghanistan
( 29 November – 05 December 2020 ) Interviewed returnees from Iran were travelling to all 34 provinces across the country, with the majority  ( 69% )  intending to return to Herat, Faryab, Nimroz, Takhar, Ghor, Kunduz, Farah, Balkh, Badghis, and Kabul provinces.
The total additional financing of $113 million to Afghanistan's COVID 19 Emergency Response and Health Systems Preparedness Project also includes a $50 million grant from the Afghanistan Reconstruction Trust Fund  ( ARTF )  and a $3 million grant from the Energy Sector Management Program  ( ESMAP ) .
In Kandahar province, armed conflict continued in Arghestan, Arghandab, Zheray and Panjwayi districts which resulted in the restriction of civilian movement within districts and to Kandahar.
Ensure gender equity by ensuring any HLP/ FSAC investments are made on land where women and men enjoy equal property rights; crucially, ensure that women's name on HLP documents are a prerequisite to land based investments in urban agriculture
As of April 24, Afghanistan had 1251 confirmed cases of COVID 19, with 43 deaths. If estimates released by the Ministry of Public Health are accurate, Afghanistan is heading for a catastrophe. Unless serious containment measures are enforced and adhered to throughout the country, the ministry anticipates that as many as 25 million Afghans will be infected with the coronavirus, leading to 110,000 deaths.
Most of the health facilities have hand wash solutions, hand wash facilities with adequate water, Toilets, hand Sanitiser at the health facility. 75% of the respondents mentioned that they use masks or clothes to cover their face  ( nose /mouth at the health facility ) ; 55% have mentioned that the Health Facilities have functional Infra red thermometers; about 48% have mentioned that they have tent or some sort of facility for screening for temperature check at the facility
The Nutrition Cluster urges all parties to the conflict to ensure access to the most vulnerable provinces and people impacted by food and nutrition insecurity and COVID 19. This includes ensuring humanitarian access for health and nutrition services  ( especially malnourished children under five and mothers/PLW ) .
The reasons for low access to health facilities during COVID 19 days and the lockdowns are health workers don't have adequate safety and PPE materials and thus people fear if health workers are not properly protected.
The reasons for low access to health facilities during COVID 19 days and the lockdowns are roads leading the clinics and main roads are blocked and thus people face huge problems  ( more than 50% mentioned of this problem )
On 24 November, eight civilians were wounded by an IED detonation in Matun district, Khost province.
UN Women partnered with Afghans for Afghanistan's Development  ( AFAD )  Organization to undertake the Afghanistan Time Use Survey. The research was conducted in Nangarhar, Kabul, Takhar, Balkh, Herat, Kandahar, and Paktia provinces.
Only one town, Kunduz, was classified in Stressed  ( IPC Phase 2 ) .
Implement pilot urban agriculture projects in PD 305 SHURA townships in Kabul and Herat.
[ Education ]  Partners also will support the Ministry of Education to ensure that children whose needs are aggravated in the pandemic continue to learn through alternative methodologies and extended outreach. In preparation for when schools eventually re open, likely with an extended school year, partners will focus on education recovery work.
52% of the respondents have mentioned that they are aware of what to do if one has symptoms.
Public transport facilities, such as buses, carrying more than four passengers will not be allowed to travel.
There is an urgent need to ensure a continued distribution of medical and protective equipment to all corners of the country.
On 9 July, the World Bank approved the Afghanistan COVID 19 Response Development Policy Grant worth $200 million to help Afghanistan mitigate the impacts of COVID  19.
In Uruzgan province, fighting continued in Dehrawud and Gizab districts and affected shops and infrastructures.
The provision of new water points or rehabilitation of existing water points, along with distribution of hygiene kits for COVID 19 response are needed across multiple communities.
The main roads connecting Panjwayi, Arghandab, Zheray and Maywand are either closed or contaminated with Improvised Explosive Devices  ( IED ) .
According to the Directorate of Refugees and Repatriation  ( DoRR ) , 5,591 undocumented Afghans have returned from Pakistan since 01 January 2020.
UNAMA attributed 21 per cent of overall civilian casualties to Afghan national security forces, eight per cent to international military forces and the remainder to pro government armed groups and undetermined Pro Government Forces. The last civilian casualty incident of the quarter attributed to international military forces occurred on 17 February, before the ‘reduction in violence' week, when an airstrike in Kushk district of Herat province resulted in the deaths of eight civilians  ( three women and five children ) .
As of December 31, the Government of Afghanistan  ( GoA )  Ministry of Public Health had recorded more than 51,500 confirmed cases of coronavirus disease  ( COVID 19 )  and 2,188 COVID 19 related deaths in Afghanistan
Access to information in AGE  [ Anti Government Elements  controlled areas is more limited and reliant on community members. Health seeking behaviour – and COVID 19 testing rates – indicate women are underrepresented in accessing healthcare. Information nodes / gatekeepers are not providing consistent, accurate information to all members of their communities, leaving room for misinformation and rumors.
Only half of children under the age of 5 have received the recommended vaccinations.
Shelter gaps as of 31 August 2020: Access to adequate shelter/housing is a critical need in all the locations; Lack of private sector engagement investment in the communal housing in PARRs  [ Priority Areas of Return and Reintegration ]
Are you aware of financial aid being provided in your local area to aid households during this time  ( % yes ) ? Aware of aid : 13%; among those aware of aid, household access: 24%; Sufficient for needs: 24%
Men  ( 59% )  are more optimistic than women  ( 49% )  that peace is achievable in the next two years.
Acceptable places for women to work   co ed schools   Strongly agree: 61%; somewhat agree: 15%; somewhat disagree: 7%; strongly disagree: 16%
Only 12% of the respondents reported that there was no negative effects on their income, while 39% reported that their ability to earn income has been fully and negatively affected.
The survey explored whether the households' experienced any cases of health issues as well as symptoms/ cases of COVID 19. The findings indicate that 54.3% of the household reported that they did not experience any health issue since the virus outbreak.
% of sites in which KIs reported the majority of households occupy inadequate shelter, by region: North East 3%
The three most frequently cited available money transfer services were: 87% Hawala, 57% Banks, 16% Formal transfer services
Out of 21,350 people assessed this week [ 1 7March ] , 17,199 people were recommended to receive aid.
UNHCR and partners continue to facilitate voluntary repatriation of registered Afghan refugees through services and support provided at four Encashment Centres located in Jalalabad, Kandahar, Herat and Kabul.
COVID 19 has added new complications to the sense of belonging and welcome felt upon return. Some children are even hidden from communities to avoid raising concerns for them and their families – in fact, most community leaders are not aware that the children are returning.
In 2020, the HAG recorded 200 access constraints stemming from military operations and kinetic activity, compared to 93 incidents in 2019
Armed clashes with IED detonations were reported in Nangarhar, Kunar and Laghman provinces.
The top 25 districts hosting the greatest numbers of returnees and IDPs  ( total inflow )    Returnees: 17,050; IDPs: 56,905
The top 25 districts hosting the greatest numbers of returnees and IDPs  ( total inflow )    Returnees: 44,352; IDPs: 24,986
578,890 out migrants fled to Pakistan  ( 21% )
The Education in Emergencies Working Group  ( EiEWG )  and its partners are presently preparing for catch up arrangements for the time when schools resume and are re purposing some 6,000 teachers as agents of community awareness about preventive measures people can take against the virus.
The loss of job and income is among the significant impacts of COVID 19 and the lockdown measures that impact vulnerable households
Humanitarian assistance reached approximately 56,658 people affected by conflict in Badakhshan, Baghlan, Takhar and Kunduz provinces. Also, winter assistance for people in need across the north east was started by humanitarian partners.
Assessment teams identified 819 people displaced by conflict in Badakhshan, Baghlan, Takhar and Kunduz provinces to receive humanitarian assistance in the coming days.
3,149 children killed  ( 874 )  or maimed  ( 2,275 ) : Ground engagements: 1,213; Non suicide attakcs with the use of improvised explosive devices: 575; Suicide and complex attacks: 460; Explosive remnants of war: 403; Aerial attacks: 341; Search operations, targeted, or deliberate killings: 157
FUNDING STATUS Requirement: USD 109.2 M Carry over funding: USD 16M, from ongoing activities into 2021
Some respondents indicated that they have access to maternal health services; however, many highlighted the movement restriction affects many women  ( particularly in rural areas )  from accessing such services. Among women respondents, 60 women  ( 37.2% )  said they don't have access to maternal health services; and majority women, 118  ( 73% ) , don't have access to family planning services.
The overall lack of decision making power among women could be worsened during the pandemic. With more men staying at home, women and girls might face further decision making restrictions. However, the few changes in decision making witnessed among men respondents also indicate the advent of the COVID 19 pandemic and related changes is causing some men to seek input from their wives before making decisions.
Nominal retail price of wheat flour is 36 AFN/kg. Higher than the two year average.
2.86 million people sensitised on COVID 19 and related preventive measures by Protection Cluster partners
in Afghanistan, where women's access to mobile phones and internet is limited, remote provision of services is particularly challenging
Even before the added burden of La Niña, the nutritional status of children under five continues to deteriorate in most parts of Afghanistan. More than two thirds of the country  ( 27 out of 34 provinces )  is already at emergency malnutrition levels. One in two children under five and one in four pregnant and lactating women  ( PLW )  is anticipated to face acute malnourition in 2021
319,137  ( 179,614 boys and 139,523 girls )  have been reached with prevention and control messages through radio/TV
21% of the families reported that they are "never" able to meet the basic needs of their children
Governments and donors must prioritize gender sensitive programming and investments including in the prevention and response to sexual and gender based violence surging as a consequence of COVID 19, women's quality income generation opportunities, and women's leadership programmes;
Health: 167 people affected by diarrhea, vomiting, dehydration; 26 affected by respiratory infections; 63 affected by trauma
WASH  ( hand washing ) : hand washing facility?   64% yes, 36% no; soap availability   48% yes, 52% no
Food, Livestock, and Agriculture: 5,851 families lost food stocks, 3,405 livestock lost, more than 6,943 hectares of agricultural land damaged, 107,928 orchard trees damaged
In October, the United Nations Humanitarian Air Service  ( UNHAS )  transported 1,350 passengers to 21 locations across the country.
Nominal retail price of rice is 46 AFN/kg. Higher than the five year average.
Beneficiaries reached with COVID 19 response activities: 1,845,118 responded, 1,810,979 targeted
The Cluster anticipates that 3.1 million people will have acute protection needs across the 25 most affected provinces over spring.
Reasons for return to Afghanistan: 32% reported UNHCR assistance package
Overall partners reached 4.68m people with COVID 19 specific support in 2020.
To ensure the safe return to classes in communities, partners must: Identify best channels to inform beneficiaries and communities about new protocols in place: posters, radio messages, etc
To ensure the safe return to classes in communities, partners must: Establish and / or strengthen child friendly feedback mechanism to ensure full expression of boys' and girls' feelings related to the disruption of the learning process.
Temperature checks and screening activities are ongoing through deployment of 98 screening staff at all major border crossings with Iran and Pakistan by Health Cluster Partners.
Governments and donors must prioritise funding for quality and sustainable livelihood opportunities and social protection programming in order to support vulnerable families to reduce negative coping mechanisms such as child marriage and child labor;
• 193 healthcare workers have been trained in medical laboratory testing by Health Cluster Partners.
5 laboratories are now operational. Afghanistan currently has technical capacity to carry out 5,800 tests per day
• 42 rapid response teams  ( RRTs )  have been deployed by humanitarian partners across the country to support MoPH's Rapid Response Teams with surveillance, case identification, contact tracing, and risk communication.
48.7% of the families have sent their children to work
Two civilians were reportedly killed and seven others, including children wounded by an unexploded ordnance  ( UXO )  detonation in Khinjan district in Baghlan province.
One point of entry is closed for exit.
It is also possible that drought conditions will push a portion of the people currently living in IPC 3 into IPC 4, although this will need to be confirmed by the upcoming IPC analysis, with results due in April.
In addition, there are fewer than 2,000 isolation beds across the entire country, and limited capacity for ICU care, which could exacerbate death rates  ( Shah et al. 2020 ) .
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.
A similar bilateral agreement, the Joint Way Forward, signed in 2016 between the EU and the Government of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, has allowed for increased returns from Europe to Afghanistan  ( IOM  ( a ) , 2019 ) .
Even before the pandemic, Afghans face massive challenges to access proper health care. The health system is under developed and burdened far beyond its capacity due to countless conflict casualties, lack of funding, insufficient medical staff, deterioration of infrastructure, and other resources. The challenges are further aggravated by malnutrition, poor access to water, lack of sanitation and hygiene, air pollution, and geographic and security challenges to access health care facilities
A Taliban claimed suicide truck bomb attack on 14 May in downtown Gardez, which injured at least 33 civilians.
The relaxation of lockdown measures also put an end to a series of largely peaceful protests in April and the beginning of May, during which protestors accused the Afghan government of unfairness during bread distributions and voiced concerns that the closure of businesses and restaurants led to economic hardship. While the Afghan population remains largely critical of the government, accusing them of not doing enough to tackle the spread of the virus, no major protest was recorded since the relaxation of the lockdown measures.
In late February 2020, an infected returnee in the western province of Herat bordering Iran. An influx of returnees totaling some 287,080 persons from Iran and Pakistan between February 2020 and April 2020 seems to have helped accelerate the number of infected cases but also stretched the medical and economic resources to their limits.
The healthcare workforce will continue to be at high risk if PPE issues persist
• 739 handwashing stations set up in health facilities across 27 districts by WASH partners.
• 85 handwashing stations set up in schools across 15 districts by WASH partners.
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 medicine  ( 59.7% ) .
Some of the respondents also reported that they had to send their children to work so that they could earn enough money to provide for the family.
About 12,810 people  ( 20 per cent of the IDPs )  are reported to have returned to their villages of origin in Khanabad.
Single mothers  ( identified in our analysis as unmarried/widowed/divorced females living in households with children )  are particularly sensitive to the burden of unpaid domestic work. In comparison to married couple or those whom are cohabitating, a significantly higher proproption of single mothers report cleaning as the most time consuming activity
Risk communication and community engagement  ( RCCE   accountability to affected populations ) :Since 1 March, IOM's Displacement Tracking Matrix  ( DTM )  field teams have reached more than 132,682 community leaders and influencers among host, IDP and returnee populations, including humanitarian and development partners and providers of essential services, with RCCE messaging in over 12,300 villages across 34 provinces. IOM's priority focus is on mobile and displaced people in affected areas.
Currently, above average prices of staple foods and deteriorated purchasing power for casual laborers and livestock owners are restricting accessing food, especially in remote districts of this province. Below average remittances are further restricting household food access.
according to OCHA, 20,049 individuals were displaced in 2020. This figure is 220% higher than in 2019. In 2020, most of these displacements occurred from September to October. Individuals were displaced to the center of Uruzgan, to nearby districts, and some to neighboring provinces like Daykundi and Kandahar.
27,044  ( 10,899 boys and 16,145 girls )  have been reached with safe and adequate drinking water  ( Safe and clean drinking water )  when the school/CBE  [ Community Based Education ]  are opened
Separately, the state minister for disaster management warns against another drought in the next Persian Year  ( beginning on March 21 ) .
Update service directories and referral pathways, to reflect changes in available services, informing civil society service providers and key communities about these new services. • To the extent possible, monitor and evaluate interventions, including safely gathering data disaggregated by sex, age and disability, to help inform efficiency and efficacy of VAWG service provision. • Promote and ensure access to psycho social counselling for staff and clients. • Ensure safety and well being of survivors who are suspected to have contracted or have contracted COVID 19, and support survivors throughout the process.
Women  ( 61% )  are more concerned than men  ( 47% )  on the impact of COVID 19 on their lifestyle  ( daily routine, ability to work & socialize, etc. )
A flexible and adaptive approach is needed to ensure that life saving services continue to be made available without compromising the safety of service providers and women and girls, and the level of service accessibility, availability and responsiveness.
MOPH  ( Afhanistan Ministry of Public Health )  Figures: MoPH data shows that as of 20 December, 50,677 people across all 34 provinces in Afghanistan are confirmed to have had COVID 19. Some 39,158 people have recovered, and 2,110 people have died – at least 86 of whom are healthcare workers. Only 189,385 people out of a population of 36.7 million have been tested.
Amongst these provinces, respondents settled in urban areas reported significantly greater access to distance learning modalities than those in rural areas, and is consistent with the results on those with access to public electricity and solar power, which also suggests that infrastructural differences heavily impact access to technology
In a survey done by Oxfam9 , 97% of female respondents said that gender based violence has increased since the COVID 19 outbreak started.
Children can be equipped with risk mitigation communication approved by the RCCE and through social distance measures, spread this lifesaving messaging to fellow peers and community members. With 65% of children reporting that a hotline doesn't exist, WV must ensure continued functioning of child friendly and survivor centered reporting mechanisms such as DoLSA's CP hotline and community based solutions for child friendly counselling, reporting, and response.
In addition, culturally appropriate positive parenting sessions must be conducted to equip parents with the knowledge and skills required to enhance the protective environment of children.
WV must continue its work engaging faith leaders as agents of community change to support family decision makers to better understand the long lasting negative effects of child marriage.
Children whose school shifted to distance learning  ( n=49 )  were asked about their biggest concerns with regards to this new learning method. Sixty seven percent said that their major concern was losing contact with teachers and professors when watching lessons through TV
Other shared concerns are related to not being able to ask questions when watching lessons on TV, incapacity to learn through this method and not being able to focus at home due to noise around.
The amplification of loneliness and isolation affected girls' and boys' mental health expressed by sadness.
[ Key COVID 19 Cumulative Response Figures / Education Sector ]  119,495 children reached with home based learning materials across 14 provinces. • 10,314 children across 4 provinces received education through small group learning. • 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. • 1,231 teachers trained on safe school protocols for COVID 19 for when schools re open.
Some impediments were directly linked to Covid 19: in March, partners reported that Kabul airport authorities seemed to only accept PCR tests from a limited number of hospitals. Rather than being guided by medical advice, this seems to be a moneymaking scheme that also creates security and safety concerns for partners as these suggested hospitals do not necessarily have good safety and security measures.
This increase highlights the increasingly challenging access environment humanitarian partners are operating in, with interferences of conflict parties making principled humanitarian action a daily challenge.
The Afghan Ministry of Education decided to postpone school opening for the new education year in cold climate provinces and close all ongoing schools in warm climate provinces to mitigate the risk of student's infection with the virus.
Lockdown measures to control the spread of COVID 19 are exacerbating economic vulnerability of already impoverished households; exposing women and children to a heightened risk of exploitation and abuse; and increasing the likelihood of adoption of negative coping mechanisms, particularly in families where daily labour is the only source of income.
The most frequently reported barriers  [ to accessing healthcare ]  were: 75% Cost of medicines, 61% Cost of healthcare, 54% Cost of transport, 8% Insufficient capacity, 8% Distance and travel time
24% of households reported using an unimproved latrine type.
64% of households reported that they had delayed seeking medical care for critical health problems to save money in the 30 days prior to data collection
29% of households reported using an unimproved latrine type
The reasons for low access to health facilities during COVID 19 days and the lockdowns are health workers themselves face problems in reaching their clinics and some of the clinics are overcrowded.
[ Operational support and logistics ]  The Logistics Working Group  ( LWG )  is supporting on logistics issues during the COVID 19 response. The Humanitarian Access group  ( HAG )  is working to resolve access issues on behalf of partners. FSAC partners continue to monitor the flow of commercial vehicles carrying humanitarian food and supplies across borders to mitigate pipeline breaks for critical food and non food items
[ Laboratories ] 14 laboratories are now operational. Afghanistan currently has technical capacity to carry out 5,500 tests per day. 193 healthcare workers have been trained in medical laboratory testing. Health Cluster partners are supporting testing through provision of diagnostic kits and other laboratory reagent
The reasons for low access to health facilities during COVID 19 days and the lockdowns are there is fear among people that by visiting health facilities there will be increased risk of getting infected.  ( this is quite high among the responders )
Community development achievements as of 31 August 2020: 3 multi purpose community centres constructed; 2 training centres for women and youth; 2 sports centres constructed, and uniforms for youth playing cricket and football provided; One minibus provided to facilitate transportation from rural to urban areas and marketplaces
Education achievements as of 31 August 2020: 24 schools constructed, 158 RHUs  [ Refugee Housing Units ]  proved to expand class room space, 2 playgrounds constructed, solar panels for 4 schools
In Afghanistan,1 Afghan forces ramped up air and ground operations, claiming to have inflicted over 100 fatalities on the Taliban.
( 26 March   01 April 2021 ) IOM's Protection programme has supported 878 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.
( 26 February   04 March 2021 )  IOM provided post arrival humanitarian assistance to 1,341  ( 4% )  undocumented Afghans at the IOM Transit Centers in Herat and Nimroz during the past week.
( 12 18 March 2021 )  In 2021, 130,559 patients have been served by IOM's Migration Health Unit in Nimroz, Herat, Kandahar and Nangarhar provinces with basic health care  outpatient consultations, maternal, child and neo natal health care, reproductive health, family planning and COVID 19 response. Programming is supported by the UK's FCDO, DG ECHO, CERF, and the United States' Bureau for Population, Refugees and Migration  ( BPRM ) .
1 in 4  ( 23% )  of all returned IDPs returned to Kunduz province.
The top 25 districts hosting the greatest numbers of returnees and IDPs  ( total inflow )    Returnees: 74,509; IDPs: 140,838
Moreover, 70% of urban households reported a decrease in income, of which 64% is attributed to decreased employment opportunities. This proportion is expected to increase substantially following the ongoing lockdown measures. The flow of remittances has also been impacted by global lockdowns due to COVID 19, leading to largescale unemployment.
Save the Children has temporarily suspended all non essential activities in Afghanistan to protect staff and beneficiaries from the effects of COVID 19. Emergency cash transfers for food are being implemented to ensure the most vulnerable don't go hungry.
Highlights from Jan June 2020 Baseline Mobility Assessment: 256,814 IDPs reside in informal settlements
Acceptance of a woman as the CEO of a large company   Strongly agree: 72%; somewhat agree: 13%; somewhat disagree: 4%; strongly disagree: 11%
( 29 Jan 04 Feb 2021 ) Under the Global Fund multi country TB grant in partnership with UNDP, a total of 9,113 undocumented Afghans were screened for tuberculosis at the Zero Point Reception Centres in Herat, Nimroz, Kandahar and Nangarhar. Of the total screened, 325 presumptive TB cases were identified and samples lab tested and 4 persons were confirmed positive for TB.
( 29 Jan 04 Feb 2021 ) In 2021, 71,312 patients have been served by IOM's Migration Health Unit in Nimroz, Herat, Kandahar and Nangarhar provinces with basic health care  outpatient consultations, maternal, child and neo natal health care, reproductive health, family planning and COVID 19 response. Programming is supported by the UK's FCDO, DG ECHO, CERF, and the United States' Bureau for Population, Refugees and Migration  ( BPRM ) .
According to the Health Ministry, as of Wednesday, Afghanistan has more than 17,000 COVID 19 infections, and that number rose by 758 in the 24 hour period from Tuesday.
Additionally, frontline NGO workers have recently received new deliveries of PPE – including both surgical and N95 masks, face shields and shoe covers – from WHO. In total, since the start of the pandemic, almost 1.3 million PPE items have been delivered by humanitarian partners to both MoPH and frontline NGO workers in Afghanistan. With a second wave of the gathering pace globally, there is an urgent need to ensure a rapid distribution of medical and protective equipment to all corners of the country.
Between 1 January and 31 October, WHO reports there were 67 incidents in 17 provinces across 40 districts. Direct, targeted attacks on health facilities and health workers now account for 78 per cent of all incidents. During this period, Afghanistan has witnessed the closure of 38 health facilities across four provinces, with threats of additional closures.
Advocacy is need on increasing assess to medical services.
The joint assessment team consisting of IOM  [ International Organization for Migration ] , DRC  [ Danish Refugee Council ] , ANDMA  [ Afghanistan National Disaster Management Authority ] , ARCS  [ Afghan Red Crescent Society ] , WFP, Department of Refugees and Repatriation  ( DoRR ) , UNICEF, Agriculture Department and Economic Department continued assessment on 29 August 2020 that verified 71 families  ( 52 completely destroyed, 19 severely damage )  while the assessment is on going.
Availability of radio: 32.8% of families own radios  ( mainly through their mobiles phones which do not require batteries ) , while 67.2% of families do not use radios due to poor radio signal.
Applicability of Alternative Pathways  ( Distance and Self Learning )  in Urban Areas: 80.8 % of the total 48.1 % student beneficiaries settled in cities/outskirts can get benefit from the alternative options  ( distance learning and self  learning )  in urban areas, while 19.2% report not being able to access distance learning and self/home based learning options, indicating that only reduced size classes are a viable solution for them.
IOM  [ International Organization for Migration ]  used a one to one approach which seeks to transmit accurate, up to date information which can then support the spread of safe and timely information via family and friends to communities – a preferred means of receiving information.
Investing in urban agriculture increases the legitimacy of HLP rights in the view of authorities and host communities, leading to increased security of tenure of vulnerable groups.
Investing in urban agriculture provides an opportunity to integrate HLP with FSAC priorities for mutually beneficial outcomes in SHURA Townships and other settings. Integrated HLP/ FSAC programming provides legal recognition of land rights and makes land based investments to improve agricultural output. These two programmatic facets mutually reinforce residents' HLP rights and drive increases in agricultural productivity to enhance residents' livelihoods.
Afghanistan is constrained by limited institutional and workforce resources and capacities. These challenges along with COVID 19 have put the country at risk of spread of the diseases with high mortality and morbidity rates
Of total cases recovery rate is 9.28% and case fatality ratio is 1.63%
Wardak has been the most volatile province in the central region in the past three years, with IEA  [ Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan ]  very active in most parts of the province. Number of incidents in 2020 has significantly increased in the province compare to the previous years. Jalrez, Behsud, Midan Shahr, Nerkh and Sayedabad are the most violent districts. Sayedabad has witnessed an increase in conflict activity this year and was the district to log the largest number of conflict related incidents in the first half of the year country wide. The level of activity in Sayedabad from January to June was three times greater than the same period in 2019.
Moreover, the survey findings reveal that 2.6% of participants 18 years old or above were IgM positive  ( current infection ) . Southeast region had the highest proportion of IgM positive  ( 7% ) , followed by Central region  ( 4.3% ) , Northeast region  ( 4% ) , Western region  ( 3.4% ) , Kabul region  ( 2.7% ) , Eastern region  ( 2.5% ) , Southern region 1.6% and Northern region  ( 1.4% )  and it was lowest in the Central highland region  ( 0.9% ) .
The survey findings indicate that the most frequent sources of income reported by the households are daily and casual labor, agriculture and livestock activities followed by salaried work.
The respondents were asked to provide number of meals daily consumed by children and adults before and since the COVID 19 outbreak. The findings suggests that there is a slight drop of meal consumption among children and the majority indicated that children have three regular meals per day  ( 64% before outbreak and 60% since the outbreak ) .
Household ability to meet needs: disinfectants, face masks, gloves  Not at all: 56%, Partially: 37%, Fully: 3%, Not Applicable: 5%
HC  [ Humanitarian Coordinator ]  and HCT  [ Humanitarian Country Team ]  members strengthen systems so they are structured, resourced, transparent and accountable CP  [ Child Protection ]  system that can sustainably build and retain a cadre of trained social workers who are not affiliated with power dynamics and politics, rather than half attempts at short term solutions.
The Protection Cluster, UNICEF with lead CP  [ Child Protection ]  agencies work with the SRSG  [ Secretary General's Special Representative to Afghanistan ]  to ensure support for specific practical provisions on protection of children are included in the negotiations and any peace agreement. This may include developing introductory training on Child Protection in Emergency, including child right components for relevant parties to conflict that would support early identification of CP issues; and preparing parties for future engagement at deeper and more meaningful level.
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 protect children against sexual and other forms of violence
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 increasing CTFMR  [ Country Task Force on Monitoring and Reporting ]  members efforts and accountability towards each other.
Community members reported marginalization of People Living With Disability and the elderly in the community. HHs reported limited access to assistive and mobility devices, increasing dependency of vulnerable groups on caregivers and challenges to meet their basic needs.
HCT  [ Humanitarian Country Team ]  members, led by UNICEF and the HC  [ Humanitarian Coordinator ] , should finding ways to ensure mechanisms for monitoring, reporting and complaints are in place and enforced including through the additional processes developing child protection and child safeguarding polices. For example, the Common Child Protection Policy for the Defence Sector which include the National Security Council, the Defence and the Interior Ministries for children in armed conflict and the Policy for Children in Conflict with Law that are currently in draft.
The Security Council should strongly condemn all grave violations, especially killing and maiming children through deliberate attacks on civilians and civilian objects, including healthcare facilities and personnel, or the use of aerial strikes and explosive objects in populated areas; urge all parties to uphold their obligations under international humanitarian law  ( IHL )  and international human rights law  ( IHRL ) .
Although Al Hayat and Afghan Japan, the main COVID 19 treatment hospitals in Kabul, had ventilators, healthcare workers raised concerns that most healthcare professionals were unfamiliar with how to operate them, which resulted in high death rates for admitted patients requiring a ventilator.