We have learned with great sorrow that, many people, including civilians, were killed and injured today (11 February) at the provincial center of Helmand in Afghanistan, as a result of a suicide attack targeting members of the Afghan National Security Forces who were near a bank to collect their pay.

We strongly condemn this terrorist attack and wish Allah’s mercy upon members of the Afghan National Security Forces and civilians who lost their lives, speedy recovery to the wounded, and convey our condolences to the brotherly Government and people of Afghanistan.

KABUL - The UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) expresses its grave concern at the recent escalation of violence in Helmand province, which reportedly claimed the lives of at least 25 civilians, mostly women and children, and injured many more.

On 9 and 10 February, International Military Forces conducted airstrikes in Helmand’s Sangin District reportedly targeting Anti-Government Elements. UNAMA’s initial enquiries suggest that the airstrikes killed at least 18 civilians, nearly all women and children. UNAMA notes that Resolute Support has initiated an investigation into the incident.

On 11 February, Taliban conducted a suicide attack targeting Afghan National Army soldiers outside of Kabul Bank in Lashkar Gah, the capital of Helmand. The attack killed at least seven civilians, and at least as many were injured, mainly child vendors outside the bank.

The people of Helmand have suffered greatly due to the armed conflict in Afghanistan, with 891 civilians killed or injured during 2016. This figure was the highest in the country in 2016 outside of Kabul.

UNAMA reiterates the need for all parties to the conflict to strictly adhere to their obligations under international humanitarian law to take all feasible measures to protect civilians from harm.

The UN Mission expresses its sincere condolences to the families of victims and hopes for a speedy recovery to those injured.

The senior United Nations advocate for children caught up in conflict is reaching out to parents, elders, and the entire international community to keep children away from armies and militias – a UN role that over the past two decades has helped more than 115,000 child soldiers regain their youth.

“My role is to reach them, to try to convince them that they are the ones who can make a difference on the ground,” the UN Special Representative for Children and Armed Conflict, Leila Zerrougui, told UN News on the occasion of the 20th anniversary of her office’s mandate.

Ms. Zerrougui noted that as a UN envoy, she could not advance the mandatewithout the support of the 193-member UN General Assembly, the Security Council, and regional organizations.

Just as important, however, has been the role of civil society actors, who are often on the frontlines of a conflict, working to aid communities and confronting the same difficulties.

“We can support initiatives, we can propose ideas, we can help, we can bring a voice, but we cannot solve the problem without those who are directly involved,” said Ms. Zerrougui. “Member States, civil society, fighting parties, and of course, those who can make a difference because they are supporting or they have the leverage.”

The Office of the Special Representative works to eliminate six grave violations:

• Recruitment and use of children
  
• Killing and maiming
  
• Rape and sexual violence in conflict
  
• Attacks on schools and hospitals
  
• Abduction of children
  
• Denial of humanitarian access
  

Children laying down their guns

Over the 20-year arc of the mandate, the greatest achievement of the Special Representatives is that “everyone is aware of the plight of children in armed conflict,” Ms. Zerrougui said.

“Because people are aware that opened doors then to strengthen the protection, to prevent the violation, to put in place tools, mechanisms, a legal framework,” she noted. “That allowed us today to say, for example, that we have consensus that children should not be recruited, should not be used in conflict, particularly by government forces. And where we have this consensus, we have less and less Governments that use children.”

In fact, there are seven countries currently listed in the Secretary-General’s latest report that use child soldiers – Afghanistan, Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Myanmar, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, and Yemen. Some militias and armed groups in those countries are also listed, as are some in the Central African Republic, Colombia, Iraq, Mali, Nigeria, and Syria.

Ms. Zerrougui’s office, in cooperation with the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and other partners, is working with the Governments of those countries to end the practice. They are among the 27 Governments and non-State actors that have signed action plans with the UN to end recruitment.

In the DRC, where the recruitment of child soldiers known as “kadogo” is endemic, the Government has taken “robust action and is well on its way to making its armed forces child-free,” according to the Office.

“We have changed how we look at children. We don’t recruit them anymore, it’s in our blood. The change is irreversible,” an army general recently told the UN peacekeeping mission in DRC (MONUSCO).

In 2014, the Office and UNICEF launched the “Children, Not Soldiers” campaign , which aims to end the recruitment and use of child soldiers by Government armies. Since 2000, the work of the Office and partners has led to the release of more than 115,000 child soldiers.

In addition to freeing child soldiers and ending their recruitment, the Office of the Special Representative has made progress in tackling the use of schools by the military, and stopping attacks on schools and hospitals.

Children with their own children

Progress has also been made on tackling conflict-related sexual violence, a topic that the Office works on alongside the Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Sexual Violence in Conflict, Zainab Hawa Bangura.

“Girls are always affected by conflict in each and every context,” Ms. Zerrougui said, noting the use of girls as sex slaves, bush wives, and domestic servants.

Until Ms. Zerrougui’s mandate, girls were largely invisible in conflicts because unlike child soldiers, who are predominantly boys, they did not have guns, and because rape and pregnancy were reasons for their communities to stigmatize them.

“We try to speak to those on the ground who are involved to not forget this issue,” she said. “To ensure that these victims are not victimized twice. Because they were themselves victims as girls. And also because they end up dealing with children. The most heartbreaking thing is when you see a girl that is still a child with her own children.”

This article was edited from a news item originally published by the UN News Centre.

YOKOHAMA – The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) welcomed the announcement last week of a US$85.2 million cash contribution from the Government of Japan. The donation will enable WFP to provide vital food and nutrition assistance in 33 countries across Africa, Asia and the Middle East.

“This generous donation comes at a time when increasing numbers of vulnerable people around the globe are desperately seeking safety, food and hope for tomorrow,” said Kojiro Nakai, Officer-in-Charge of WFP Japan Office. “We are most grateful for Japan’s leadership in promoting the “humanitarian-development nexus” (the linking relief and development assistance) through sustainable solutions addressing both urgent hunger needs and underlying causes. Together with Japan, WFP will continue to work towards zero hunger.”

About half of the donation from Japan, or US$47 million, will support WFP’s operations in 23 African countries, particularly in response to slow-onset crises in Malawi, Lesotho and Swaziland, where the El Niño phenomenon has severely affected the food security of millions of people.

In Malawi, Japan’s funds will enable WFP to purchase maize, pulses and vegetable oil for nearly 420,000 food-insecure people to benefit from seamless relief, recovery and resilience-building activities in collaboration with partners including the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA).

About forty percent of the total contribution will be allocated to assist refugees and internally-displaced people in Syria, Iraq, Yemen, Nigeria and neighbouring Cameroon. The largest portion of the contribution, totalling US$13 million, will provide life-saving food and vouchers to 340,000 people in Yemen, currently suffering one of the largest, yet least reported humanitarian crises.

WFP logistics operations will also benefit from Japan’s donation in Afghanistan, Sudan, and South Sudan, where the agency runs the United Nations Humanitarian Air Service, providing critical air transport and cargo services for the entire humanitarian community.

The contributions are broken down as follows:

Yemen (US$13 million), Iraq (US$7.1 million), Jordan (US$6 million), Niger (US$ 5.1 million), South Sudan (US$4.1 million), Turkey (US$4 million), Afghanistan (US$3.2 million), Mauritania (US$2.9 million), Somalia (US$2.9 million), Uganda (US$2.9 million), Malawi (US$2.6 million), Central African Republic (US$2.2 million), Democratic Republic of the Congo (US$ 2.2 million), Guinea (US$2.2 million), Ethiopia (US$2.2 million), Kenya (US$2.2 million), Lebanon (US$2 million), Burundi (US$1.5 million), Cameroon (US$1.5 million), Chad (US$1.5 million), Sierra Leone (US$1.5 million), Zimbabwe (US$1.5 million), Rwanda (US$1.5 million), Lesotho (US$1.2 million), Djibouti (US$1.1 million), Burkina Faso (US$1 million), Sudan (US$1 million), Syria (US$1 million), Nigeria (US$1 million), Swaziland (US$1 million), Republic of Congo (US$0.9 million), Libya (US$0.7 million), Egypt (US$0.5 million).

In January, there were nearly 8000 detections of illegal border crossings on the three main migratory routes into the EU.

Central Mediterranean

4400 migrants reached Italy by sea in January, a drop of 16% from a year ago and of nearly 46% from December. Most of the departures occurred from Libya.

The main reason for the decrease in migratory flows last month was worsening weather conditions on the Central Mediterranean, which made it nearly impossible to make a sea crossing for a larger part of the month.

Nationals from Côte d'Ivoire, Guinea and Nigeria were the top three nationalities among the migrants arriving to Italy.

Eastern Mediterranean

Meanwhile, the number of migrants reaching the Greek islands in the eastern Aegean reached 1760 in January, 18% less than the previous month, also because of poor weather conditions.

The monthly numbers in Greece plunged since the implementation of the EU/Turkey statement in March 2016.

Syrians, Algerians and Palestinians accounted for the largest number of migrants on this route. Interestingly, in January nationals from the Democratic Republic of Congo were the fourth largest group detected on the Greek islands in the eastern Aegean.

Western Balkans

The number of detections of illegal border-crossings in the Western Balkans in January was in line with the figure from December, but 97% less than in January 2016.

Nationals from Afghanistan, Pakistan and Syria accounted for the majority of migrants on this route.

Note:

The data presented in this statement refer to the number of detections of illegal border-crossing at the external borders of the European Union. The same person may attempt to cross the border illegally several times in different locations at the external border.

Gender violence, poverty and associated social problems fuels widespread mental health problems.

By Sudabah Ehrari

The razor scars on 18-year-old Leila’s hands and neck bear witness to her past attempts at suicide. The Herat teenager told IWPR that she had become deeply depressed after her marriage to a 45-year-old man.

“I married a much older man because of my parents,” she said. “Later, I realised that this was not what I wanted. I was controlled and banned from going anywhere, and his interference in every little detail of my life became unbearable. I was so aggravated that I decided to end my life by taking poison, but survived. Later, I tried again to commit suicide with a razor, but again I was rescued.”

Leila subsequently sought treatment for her mental health problems.

“Now, I feel better following medication and a long series of consultations,” she said.

Mental health issues are rampant across Afghanistan, fed by the legacy of more than three decades of conflict. Psychologists note that women bear the brunt of the problem.

Experts in the northern province of Herat say that rates of depression are rising among women, fuelled by factors including gender violence, poverty and associated social problems.

Local mental health practitioners estimate that they have dealt with 20 per cent more referrals this year than last year.

Abd Al Rahman Hamraz, an official with the Herat department of public health, told IWPR, “Our statistics show that rates of depression have risen, with more referrals to mental health services.”

Wahid Nourzad, head of mental health services in Herat Regional Hospital, said that this reflected a growing awareness of the problem among women.

“I estimate that this same high rate of depression was also true in the past, except it wasn’t reflect by statistics due to a lack of awareness and fewer mental health clinics.”

Herat psychologist Mahdi Hossaini said that the condition could be categorised as minor, mild, and major depression.

He said that symptoms included “aches and pains, feelings of sadness, reduced energy, fatigue, helplessness and crying, guilt, anger, and [social] withdrawal”.

Treatment involved a combination of counseling and medication, he added.

Nourzad said that the treatment offered in state-run clinics was tailored to the severity of the individual’s symptoms.

“Those presenting with mild depression are treated with four to five consultation,, whereas patients with symptoms of major depression are hospitalised for a six-month period where they receive medication as well as counseling,” he said.

Mohammad Asef Kabir, head of Herat’s public health department, said that psychotherapy and medication were available at all the province’s health centres.

In addition, he continued, “There are ten clinics dedicated to patients suffering minor [mental health issues] and one, located in the Herat Regional Hospital, for severely ill individuals.”

Kabir added that these clinics also raised public awareness of mental disorders and how to prevent them.

Zahra, 38, who has a long history of depression, spoke to IWPR while an in-patient at Herat Regional Hospital.

“I’ve been suffering from this illness for 15 years, trying different medications in several places like Iran and Pakistan; however, all treatment ultimately failed although sometimes I feel better. Recently, losing my sister intensified my depression. I frequently struggle with headaches, I always quarrel about nothing with my family. This is my third day of hospitalisation.”

IMPACT OF GENDER VIOLENCE

Public health minister Firoozuddin Firooz announced on World Mental Health Day last year that 72 per cent of Afghan women had experienced depression.

He said that war, poverty and displacement and lack of resources were the main causes of mental health issues in Afghanistan. Psychological services were available at some 1,500 health centres around the country, he continued, with 300 dedicated mental health clinics. The government planned to create another 200 specialist centres, he said.

But others say that the impact of Afghanistan’s conservative traditions and associated gender inequality are central to the issue of women’s mental health. Little progress was possible with a fundamental change in attitudes.

Fatemah Bagheri, director of women’s affairs at the Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission (AIHRC), said, “Almost all women’s rights organisations as well as [the AIHRC] are concerned about the large number of women experiencing mental health problems.”

Madinah, who was diagnosed with depression more than a year ago, attributes her illness to the effects of poverty and her father’s drug addiction.

“My only wish was to go to school, but I was beaten and deprived of education because of my father’s addiction,” she said. “I was in a constant state of distress, so I went to a psychologist and was told that I was suffering from depression.”

Mahboobeh Jamshidi, head of the department of women’s affairs in Herat, noted that the overwhelming majority of women who experienced domestic violence developed mental illness.

She said that her department had recently established a psychological consulting centre for women, but lamented the lack of a wider strategic plan to address mental health issues among women.

“The initial treatment for a depressed woman is counseling, which is inefficient because medication, which is usually tried last, is more effective,” she said.

Hossniyah Nikzad, dirrector of the Afghan Women’s Network, agreed that discrimination both at home and in the wider society was the major cause of depression among women.

“The state must create a system under the auspices of the department of education, the department of information and culture and the department of haj [and religious affairs], to closely cooperate to reduce violence, since women’s depression is associated with increased violence,” she said. “If people are more are aware of the rules and regulations [governing gender discrimination], then violence and depression will be reduced.”

But with the proper treatment, some women say that they have been given new hope for the future. Leila, the 18 year-old with a history of suicide attempts, now works at a mental health centre which she said has helped her address her own trauma.

“I asked to work here since I understand what happened to these women and the pain that they went through,” she said. “I intend to help these women recover.”

This report was produced under IWPR’s Promoting Human Rights and Good Governance in Afghanistan initiative, funded by the European Union Delegation to Afghanistan.

The news last week that six members of the International Committee of the Red Cross were killed in Jawzjan, Afghanistan was a tragic echo of an attack 20 years earlier when another six ICRC workers were lost – shot in their beds in their field hospital in Chechnya. At that time, targeted killings of aid workers were relatively rare and most agencies did not yet have basic security procedures, much less the professional security managers, armoured vehicles and other resources now applied to try to safeguard staff in the field. That it was the Red Cross Movement in particular that was attacked, despite its historical mandate and protected status under international humanitarian law as a neutral aid provider in war, struck a deep note of fear in the aid community and sense of unravelling international norms.

Read more on IRIN

Afghanistan: EU to sign a cooperation agreement on partnership and development

On 13 February 2017, the Council decided to sign a cooperation agreement on partnership and development between the EU and Afghanistan. The agreement will be signed on Friday, 17 February 2017 at 18.40 in Munich by the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Federica Mogherini and the Minister of Finance of Afghanistan Eklil Ahmad Hakimi, in presence of President of Afghanistan Ashraf Ghani.

The cooperation agreement on partnership and development will constitute a new framework for EU-Afghan relation. It formalises the EU's commitment to Afghanistan's development under the "decade of transformation" (2014-2024), building on the undertakings given at the Brussels Conference on Afghanistan on 4-5 October 2016.

The agreement reflects the principles and conditions on which the future partnership will be based. It places an emphasis on regular political dialogue, including on human rights issues, in particular the rights of women and children. The agreement provides for the development of a mutually beneficial relationship across an increasingly wide range of economic and political areas such as the rule of law, health, rural development, education, science and technology, as well as actions to combat corruption, money laundering, terrorist financing, organised crime and narcotics. It also foresees cooperation on migration, based on the Joint Way Forward on migration issues adopted in early October 2016. The cooperation agreement will also enable the EU and Afghanistan to work together to jointly address global challenges, such as nuclear security, non-proliferation and climate change.

The agreement will be signed and concluded as a "mixed" agreement. This means that on the EU side it must be signed by both the EU and the member states, and ratified by all relevant national and regional parliaments. The agreement will be applied on a provisional basis, pending ratification by all of the member states. Provisional application will concern issues falling within EU competence, including political dialogue, human rights, gender equality, development cooperation, cooperation on trade and investment matters, cooperation on migration, and regional cooperation.

Press contacts

Virginie Battu
Press officer
+32 22815316
+32 470182405

Highlights

• Climate change, environmental health risks becoming greater causes of death

• 6.3 earthquake jolts parts of Balochistan

• NDMA holds national workshop on disaster risk insurance framework for Pakistan

• 14 killed, over 100 wounded in Lahore blast

• 3 FC personnel martyred in explosion in South Waziristan

• NACTA warned about blast in Lahore

• FIA to issue red warrant for Altaf through Interpol

• 37-nation naval exercises begin in Pakistan

• Cellular jammers being used to prevent terrorist incidents

• ‘S. Arabia deported 39,000 Pakistanis in four months’

• Auto-information system introduced in Quetta hospitals

• Medical stores in Punjab to remain shut from today

• Anti-polio campaign in FATA starts today

• 32 unauthorised private schools in Cantt to be closed in 3 months

KHOST - Afghan women and girls must be supported in pursuing their education, stressed panellists in a new series of UN-backed radio programmes broadcast in the south-eastern province of Khost.

The programming, supported by the regional office of the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) and broadcast by Khost Killid Radio, was set up not only to mobilize women and men around allowing girls access to education, but also to draw attention to women’s rights.

In the south-eastern region of Afghanistan, as in other areas of the country, Afghan women and girls continue to face many challenges, including domestic violence and early marriage.

In a radio interview following the programme’s launch last week, community elder Haji Sher Nawaz told Khost Killid that the entire community benefits when Afghan girls are able to pursue an education.

“I am inspired by your programmes, particularly about the importance of girls’ education,” he said. “We will not have female doctors, teachers or police officers if we don’t send our girls to school.”

The new UNAMA-backed series focused on women’s rights issues is broadcast twice weekly by Khost Killid 88.2 FM, reaching an estimated 400,000 people in and around Khost, which also borders on the provinces of Paktya, Paktika and Logar.

UNAMA is mandated to support the Afghan Government and the people of Afghanistan as a political mission that provides 'good offices' among other key services. 'Good offices' are diplomatic steps that the UN takes publicly and in private, drawing on its independence, impartiality and integrity, to prevent international disputes from arising, escalating or spreading.

UNAMA also promotes coherent development support by the international community; assists the process of peace and reconciliation; monitors and promotes human rights and the protection of civilians in armed conflict; promotes good governance; and encourages regional cooperation.

Pakistan has backed off threats to deport more than two million Afghans starting next month, but the refugees are still under intense pressure to leave and the UN is accused of complicity in alleged plans to coerce them back across the border into a war zone.

Read more on IRIN

eurostat news release 254/2016

Syrians, Afghans and Iraqis were the most numerous

During the third quarter of 2016 (from July to September), 358 300 first time asylum seekers applied for international protection in the Member States of the European Union (EU), up by 17% compared with the second quarter of 2016 (when 305 700 first time applicants were registered). From January to September 2016, more than 950 000 first time asylum seekers were registered in the EU Member States.

With 87 900 first time applicants between July and September 2016, Syrians remained the main citizenship of people seeking international protection in the EU Member States, ahead of Afghans (62 100 first time applicants) and Iraqis (36 400). They represent the three main citizenships of first time asylum applicants in the EU Member States over the third quarter 2016, accounting for slightly more than half of all first time applicants.

Two-thirds applied for asylum in Germany

During the third quarter of 2016, the highest number of first time applicants was registered in Germany (with over 237 400 first time applicants, or 66% of total first time applicants in the EU Member States), followed by Italy (34 600, or 10%), France (20 000, or 6%), Greece (12 400, or 4%), the United Kingdom (9 200, or 3%) and Austria (8 400, or 2%). Among Member States with more than 2 000 first time asylum seekers in the third quarter 2016, numbers of first time applicants rose most compared with the previous quarter in Bulgaria (+82%), the Netherlands (+72%), Belgium (+29%), Italy (+28%) and Germany (+27%). In contrast, the largest decreases were recorded in Hungary (-73%), Poland (-37%) and Austria (-22%).

Highest number of first time applicants relative to the population in Germany, Greece and Malta

Compared with the population of each Member State, the highest rate of registered first time applicants during the third quarter 2016 was recorded in Germany (2 890 first time applicants per million inhabitants), followed by Greece (1 152) and Malta (1 091). In contrast, the lowest rates were observed in Slovakia (7 applicants per million inhabitants), Portugal (19), Romania (22), the Czech Republic (28) and Estonia (30). In the third quarter 2016, there were in total 702 first time asylum applicants per million inhabitants in the EU as a whole.

The twelfth meeting of the Emergency Committee (EC) under the International Health Regulations (2005) (IHR) regarding the international spread of poliovirus was convened via teleconference by the Director General on 7 February 2017.

The Emergency Committee reviewed the data on wild poliovirus (WPV1) and circulating vaccine­derived polioviruses (cVDPV). The Secretariat presented a report of progress for affected IHR States Parties subject to Temporary Recommendations. The following IHR States Parties presented an update on the implementation of the WHO Temporary Recommendations since the Committee last met on 11 November 2016: Afghanistan, Pakistan, Nigeria, and Central African Republic. The committee also invited the Russian Federation to provide information about a VDPV event in its territory.

Wild polio

Overall the Committee was encouraged by steady progress in Pakistan and Afghanistan, and was reassured and impressed by the rapid response of the polio eradication programme in Nigeria.

The committee welcomed the dedication in Pakistan to further strengthen surveillance, and in particular the expansion of environmental surveillance to improve detection. The intensity of environmental surveillance is now at unprecedented levels, so that it is likely detections may increase even as transmission in cases is falling. These data need careful interpretation, and the committee acknowledged that this also includes interpretation of data concerning cross-border transmission. The Committee also applauded the information that there were no fully inaccessible children in 2017. However, the recent exportation of WPV1 from Pakistan into Kandahar province of Afghanistan illustrated the difficulty of halting international spread between these two countries.

While the Committee applauded the efforts of Afghanistan to reach inaccessible children and noted the overall reduction in these numbers, the continuing insecurity in parts of Afghanistan means that substantial numbers of children remain inaccessible, heightening anxiety about completion of eradication.

The Committee welcomed the continued emphasis on cooperation along the long international border between the two countries noting that this sub region constitutes an epidemiological block. The committee continues to believe that the international border represents a significant opportunity to vaccinate children who may otherwise have been missed, and welcomed the increase in the number of border vaccination teams. Opportunities to install teams at more informal border crossings should be encouraged.

The Committee commended Nigeria for its rapid response to the WPV1 cases and welcomed that there had been no further cases detected since the last meeting. However, as there remain substantial populations in Northern Nigeria that are totally or partially inaccessible, the committee concluded that it is highly likely that polioviruses are still circulating in these areas. Reaching these populations is critically important for the polio eradication effort, but it is acknowledged that there are significant security risks that may pose danger to polio eradication workers and volunteers. The Committee noted that working under this threat is likely to negatively impact on the quality of the interventions. Nigeria has already adopted innovative and multi-pronged approaches to this problem, and the committee urged that this innovative spirit be continued.

There was ongoing concern about the Lake Chad region, and for all the countries that are affected by the insurgency, with the consequent lack of services, and presence of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) and refugees. The risk of international spread from Nigeria to Lake Chad basin countries or further afield in sub-Saharan Africa remains high. The committee was encouraged that the Lake Chad basin countries including Nigeria, Cameroon, Chad, Niger and the Central African Republic (CAR), continued to be committed to sub-regional coordination. CAR needs to maintain the current momentum, including further improvement to AFP surveillance and if feasible introduce environmental surveillance as is currently planned.

Equatorial Guinea remains vulnerable, based on very sub-optimal polio eradication activities including poor surveillance, low routine immunisation coverage, and waning national efforts to address this vulnerability.

Vaccine derived poliovirus

The committee was very concerned that two new outbreaks of cVDPV have been identified, one in Sokoto in northern Nigeria, and the second in Quetta Pakistan. The virus found in Sokoto was unrelated to that found in Borno. Both of these outbreaks highlighted the presence of vulnerable under immunized populations in countries with endemic transmission. The committee noted the response to these outbreaks, acknowledging that in both cases it had complicated the ongoing efforts to eradicate WPV1.

The Committee welcomed the provision of information by the Russian Federation at the meeting about the recent detection of VDPV in two children from the Chechen Republic, and also welcomed the surveillance and immunization activities taken to date in response. The Committee noted that the investigation by the Russian Federation had shown that one of the children was immunosuppressed. The Committee requested that the WHO European Regional office and WHO HQ should continue to work with the Russian Federation to confirm the classification of the viruses. Therefore as the risk of international spread is still being assessed, no recommendations regarding this situation have been made by the committee.

In Guinea, the most recent case of cVDPV had onset in December 2015, and based on the most recent assessments and the criteria of the committee, the country is no longer considered as infected, but remains vulnerable.

The committee also noted the detection of non-circulating VDPV in several other countries.

Conclusion

The Committee unanimously agreed that the international spread of poliovirus remains a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC), and recommended the extension of the Temporary Recommendations for a further three months. The Committee considered the following factors in reaching this conclusion:

• The outbreak of WPV1 and cVDPV in Nigeria highlighting that there are high-risk areas where surveillance is compromised by inaccessibility, resulting in ongoing circulation of WPV for several years without detection. The risk of transmission in the Lake Chad sub-region appears high.
• The continued international spread of WPV1 between Pakistan and Afghanistan.
• The persistent, wide geographical distribution of positive WPV1 in environmental samples and AFP cases in Pakistan, while acknowledging the intensification of environmental surveillance inevitably increasing detection rates.
• The current special and extraordinary context of being closer to polio eradication than ever before in history, with the lowest number of WPV1 cases ever recorded occurring in 2016.
• The risk and consequent costs of failure to eradicate globally one of the world’s most serious vaccine preventable diseases. Even though global transmission has fallen dramatically and with it the likelihood of international spread, the consequences and impact of international spread should it occur would be grave.
• The possibility of global complacency developing as the numbers of polio cases continues to fall and eradication becomes a possibility.
• The serious consequences of further international spread for the increasing number of countries in which immunization systems have been weakened or disrupted by conflict and complex emergencies. Populations in these fragile states are vulnerable to outbreaks of polio. Outbreaks in fragile states are exceedingly difficult to control and threaten the completion of global polio eradication during its end stage.
• The continued necessity for a coordinated international response to improve immunization and surveillance for WPV1, to stop international spread and reduce the risk of new spread.
• The importance of a regional approach and strong cross­border cooperation, as much international spread of polio occurs over land borders, while also recognizing that the risk of distant international spread remains from zones with active poliovirus transmission.
• Additionally with respect to cVDPV:
  • cVDPVs also pose a risk for international spread, which without an urgent response with appropriate measures threatens vulnerable populations as noted above;
  • The ongoing circulation of cVDPV2 in Nigeria and Pakistan, demonstrates significant gaps in population immunity at a critical time in the polio endgame;
  • The ongoing urgency to prevent type 2 cVDPVs following the globally synchronized withdrawal of the type 2 component of the oral poliovirus vaccine in April 2016;
  • The ongoing challenges of improving routine immunization in areas affected by insecurity and other emergencies, including the post Ebola context;
  • The global shortage of IPV which poses an additional threat from cVDPVs.

"I only want peace and to live away from the Taliban - it's not important where I go. I want to stay here in Croatia. I'm tired of travelling"

By Lin Taylor

OSIJEK, Croatia, Feb 15 (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - At 16, Afghan migrant Ashkan Barak is already tired of life. For the past year, the orphan has been on the run - fleeing Taliban militants, paying smugglers to cross the Mediterranean, and avoiding detection in countries he never knew existed.

After spending nine months in a former police station turned migrant centre in Osijek, eastern Croatia, Barak says he has given up on joining his older brother in Germany.

"I only want peace and to live away from the Taliban - it's not important where I go. I want to stay here in Croatia. I'm tired of travelling," he said in Farsi through a translator.

"I can go out and walk without fear that something will happen. There's no war, no guns," said Barak, dressed in a T-shirt, black tracksuit pants and flip-flops, grateful to be shielded from the winter snow outside.

There are around 950 asylum seekers living in the Western Balkans nation, according to the U.N. refugee agency (UNHCR), many of whom have fled conflicts and poverty in Afghanistan, Iraq, Pakistan and Syria.

Although Croatia houses significantly fewer migrants than most European Union (EU) countries, its interior ministry said it was expecting more asylum seekers to arrive from western Europe due to increased deportations when the weather improves.

At the height of the refugee crisis in 2015, some 650,000 people passed through Croatia on the so-called Balkan route used by migrants heading west, especially towards Germany.

The route was largely shut down last March after a series of border closures.

LIMBO

Barak said he realised his intended journey to Germany was futile when he was deported from Slovenia to Croatia and watched as border police beat migrants with batons.

Since then, his claim for asylum in Croatia has been rejected and the teenager faces deportation once again. The pressure is often too much to bear, he says.

"I do activities and play sports to feel better. But my life is very hard and I feel depressed," he said. "I'm not sure if they're going to accept me here or send me back to Afghanistan. I'm not sure what's going to happen."

While there is no limit to how often Barak can apply for asylum, under Croatian law he must leave the country if his third application fails.

Afghans made up a fifth of all migrants entering Europe in 2015, the second biggest share after Syrians. But the mass influx has raised concerns in many EU countries over security and integration.

Germany, which has the most refugees in the bloc, has taken a firm stance on deportations, reaching an agreement with Afghanistan last October. Only people who can prove they are fleeing persecution, war or violence are eligible for asylum.

The Afghan Ministry of Refugees has said it will help returnees get back to their homes and that about 10,000 Afghans returned from Europe in 2015.

Yet Afghanistan's Western-backed government is still battling militants who have stepped up attacks since the withdrawal of most foreign troops in 2014.

Western military officials estimate the Taliban control or contest nearly a third of the country. Civilian casualties are near record levels, with thousands killed and wounded every year. The government is also struggling to develop the economy.

CHOOSE CROATIA?

In 2016, there were 2,235 asylum seekers registered in Croatia compared to 211 in 2015, but UNHCR said most were continuing their journey to the west.

UNHCR said no refugees have been officially resettled in Croatia so far.

But it's a trend that CARE International's Vanja Grundmann is trying to change, having convinced a few of the 90 residents in the migrant centre to apply for asylum to stay in Croatia.

"Croatia is not a destination country but I try to talk to migrants and asylum seekers here - it's not the best, but it's not so bad. You have no more options. Give it a try," said Grundmann, who manages volunteers at the camp.

For Afghan migrant Zarife Heidari and her family of six, staying in Croatia is not an option they want to take.

Having spent almost a year rebuilding their lives in Austria, going to school and learning German, Heidari said they were deported to Croatia without warning four months ago.

Heidari, speaking in Farsi through a translator, said she and her husband, as well as her mentally disabled daughter, no longer have the vital medical support they received in the Austrian capital Vienna.

"It's not bad here. But I don't want to stay because we don't have the right medical treatment," said Heidari who has applied to be legally reunited with her brother, daughter and son-in-law in Vienna.

The Interior Ministry's Anita Dakic, who oversees migrant centres in Croatia, said it was difficult to manage the expectations of deported migrants, as many are disappointed and frustrated, especially after months of a new life elsewhere.

"It is hard because you're trying to provide for them, and they refuse because they're nervous ... and don't know what to expect for their future," Dakic said.

While it pains Barak to think about his future, the teenager is hopeful that months of Croatian and English lessons will not be in vain.

"It's peaceful so that's why I want to live here. It's a nice country," he said.

"I'm 16 years old and I've never been to school - I would like to go to school. I want to play football, make some friends and have a normal life like all children."

(Reporting by Lin Taylor @linnytayls. Editing by Emma Batha.; Please credit the Thomson Reuters Foundation, the charitable arm of Thomson Reuters that covers humanitarian issues, conflicts, global land and property rights, modern slavery and human trafficking, women's rights, climate change and resilience. Visit http://news.trust.org to see more stories)

Nearly 100 medical facilities belonging to, or supported by, Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) have been bombed since 2015. The vast majority were in Syria, the others in Yemen, Afghanistan, Ukraine and Sudan. MSF considers it vital to establish the facts and ascertain who was responsible for each of the bombings so that it can continue – with at least some assurance that civilian facilities will be protected – to provide assistance while demanding justice and reparation for those affected. But how can the perpetrators be taken to task when they deny, contest or minimise their responsibility and describe their attacks as simple errors?

Denouncing the perpetrators to combat impunity

MSF can do little against those responsible for bombing its facilities, medical staff and patients. Beyond filing a complaint with the court in the relevant country, we can ask the International Humanitarian Fact-Finding Commission (IHFFC) for an independent and impartial inquiry. The only permanent body set up specifically to investigate international humanitarian law violations, the IHFFC requires the consent of those involved to be able to take action. Called on after the US army airstrike on the hospital in Kunduz, Afghanistan, the Commission was unable to launch an inquiry because the US did not give its consent.

All too often, the only real redress available to MSF is to publicly denounce perpetrators of bombings in the hope that the damage to their image will incite them to modify their practices. Investigations use amateur photographs and video footage to help reconstruct the ’crime scene‘, which can prove very useful in supporting such denunciations. Using cartography, image analysis, and legal and architectural expertise, research agency Forensic Architecture collects and analyses images taken of a crime committed by a State to establish the facts and ascertain who was responsible. MSF recently asked the agency to look into the airstrike on Ma’arat Al Numan hospital that happened just over 12 months ago in the Syrian province of Idlib.

Proof in pictures of bombing of Ma’arat Al Numan hospital

On 15 February 2016, the MSF-supported Ma’arat Al Numan hospital was hit by rocket fire. Twenty five people, including an MSF staff member, were killed and 11 others wounded. The casualties were taken to another hospital that was targeted later the same day. After the attack, Dr Mego Terzian, president of MSF’s French section, publicly accused the Russian-Syrian coalition of being responsible for the bombings – a conviction based on an analysis of the context, the military forces present and testimonies from Syrian civilians (some known to MSF for some time) who were at the scene. The accusation led to a cascade of reactions from the governments of Russia and Syria, ranging from denials to accusations of spying, as well as much heated debate within the MSF Movement. On what grounds is MSF accusing Russia and Syria? How reliable are the witness statements it is using to support its allegations?

The Forensic Architecture team has conducted an investigation based on videos and photographs circulating on social media, taken by medical personnel, activists and ordinary citizens. The team has authenticated and analysed the images to reconstruct the bombing. While their investigation does not provide solid evidence, it does confirm MSF’s conviction as to the responsibility of Syrian and Russian forces in the bombing of the hospital in Ma’arat Al Numan. Russian and Syrian planes were seen taking off from their respective bases at a time and location that corresponds to the strikes, while examination of video footage of one of the planes shows its resemblance to the MiG-23 that the Syrian army alone uses in the country. The Forensic Architecture investigation goes on to confirm the use of ‘double/triple tap’, i.e. repeated bombing of the same target at close intervals – a clear illustration of the relentless persecution of civilians and relief organisations in Syria.

ISLAMABAD, PAKISTAN, 15 FEBRUARY 2017 – Representatives of the Islamic Republics of Pakistan and Afghanistan and the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) underlined the importance of moving expeditiously from policy to implementation to support the needs of Afghan refugees.

Afghanistan has recently formed a high-level Displacement and Return Executive Committee (DiREC) to prioritise assistance needs and reintegration prospects of internally displaced people and returnees under the Afghanistan’s National Peace and Development Framework.

Pakistan last week adopted a national policy relating to the management of Afghan refugees and Afghan nationals living in the country. This provides a comprehensive, predictable and sustainable response to managing refugee and migration issues in Pakistan.

The government of Pakistan hosted the 28th Tripartite Commission – a high-level meeting in Islamabad on Wednesday attended by the Federal Minister for States and Frontier Regions (SAFRON), Lt. General (Retired) Abdul Quadir Baloch, Afghanistan’s Minister of Refugees and Repatriation (MoRR) Sayed Hossein Alimi Balkhi, deputy Minister of Finance of Afghanistan, Mohammad Mustafa Mastoor, Afghan Ambassador to Pakistan Dr. Hazrat Omar Zakhilwal and other senior government officials.

The UN refugee agency was represented by country representatives based in Pakistan, Indrika Ratwatte and in Afghanistan Ms. Fathiaa Abdalla. The governments and UNHCR reiterated their commitment to uphold the principles of voluntary repatriation in safety and dignity, in line with the Solutions Strategy for Afghan Refugees (SSAR).

Representatives of UNHCR and Afghanistan government expressed appreciation to the government of Pakistan for adoption of a national policy relating to the management of Afghan refugees and Afghan nationals in Pakistan, which extends the validity of the Proof of Registration cards until the end of 2017; commits to adoption of a national refugee law; includes plans for documentation of Afghan nationals who currently have no identification and builds on the existing visa regime – making it more flexible for different categories of Afghan nationals.

Pakistan’s Federal Minister for States and Frontier Regions (SAFRON), Lt. General (Retired) Abdul Quadir Baloch said: “The protracted Afghan refugee crisis shouldn’t be forgotten and more practical steps need to be taken in Afghanistan for the sustainable reintegration of returnees. I also today call again for collective and sustained efforts to provide financial support to enable Afghans to return home.”

Afghanistan’s Minister of Refugees and Repatriation (MoRR) Sayed Hossein Alimi Balkhi said: “The government of Afghanistan is taking practical measures to implement reintegration and integration projects to ensure access to basic services for returnees.” UNHCR’s Representative in Pakistan Indrika Ratwatte underscored the importance of youth empowerment through education, skills and livelihoods to build the resilience, self-reliance and human capital of future generations and a way of promoting regional stability.

Ratwatte said: “Access to education of Afghan children in Pakistan as well as of returnee children in Afghanistan is crucial. More effort is now needed to resolve academic certificate equivalency issues for returnee children and youth.” UNHCR’s Representative in Afghanistan, Ms. Fathiaa Abdalla emphasised the importance of sustainable return and reintegration as a national priority and complement to the cash grant.

In view of facilitating self-reliance of returnees, this includes access to land, shelter, social services, livelihood opportunities and representation in a community-based approach.” An extension until 31 December 2017 of the Tripartite Agreement between the governments of the Islamic Republics of Pakistan and Afghanistan was signed at the meeting.

The Tripartite Commission is the formal body that governs the stay and return of Afghans since 2002. Under this agreement some 4.1 million Afghan refugees have gone back to Afghanistan.

ENDS

Media contact
Duniya Aslam Khan – +92 300 5017939, khand@unhcr.org
Qaiser Khan Afridi – +92 300 5018696, afridiq@unhcr.org
Dan McNorton – +92 300 0540320, mcnorton@unhcr.org

About a dozen refugees detained by Australia on Papua New Guinea's Manus Island were interviewed on Wednesday for possible resettlement in the United States.

Read more on Radio New Zealand International

The Emergency: When a crop infestation destroyed the harvest of many farmers in the Central Highlands, thousands of families were left with little to no food stored for winter. Without immediate action, their livelihoods and lives were at risk. The Mission: Travel to extremely remote mountainous areas to reach vulnerable families with aid before the winter snow makes the roads impassable. Katherine, a relief worker with Medair in Afghanistan, shares her experience…

Early November 2016

It’s freezing in Afghanistan. Our bodies ache from the cold, sleeping on floors, and travelling hours each day over mountain roads. We have been meeting with communities to find families that most need aid. This area is so remote, we joke that it’s like being on the moon. Our urgent mission is to give families enough cash to cope with their crop losses through the winter, and seeds so they can replant in the spring. Today is the first day of cash distributions. We carefully fill envelopes with 9,800 Afghanis (about USD 150), enough for an average family to buy food for the winter.

Mid-November

“How far away does she live?” I ask. “Very far,” my colleague says, pointing up a mountain. We leave the 4x4 and walk uphill for an hour, with a chilling wind and snow in our faces. Finally we arrive at Amina’s home, where she lives with her son and mother in one room. It is so dark inside that I need my phone to light the way. For two weeks, we’ve been travelling into remote areas and distributing cash to families. Sometimes it feels we can offer so little compared to what people lack. Yet we know this money will help them survive the coming winter.

Late November

We’re still going non-stop. We’ve surveyed, registered, and distributed to 1,300 families—9,100 people—spread out over many different communities. We feel like we have accomplished the impossible. Yet we have 400 more families to help, and we still need to get 18 tonnes of seed and fertiliser to the most remote areas.

Early December

We leave the base for our final distributions. “This might be the hardest thing we’ve ever done in his region,” says one of our staff. “We’ve never headed out this late in the year.” “What should we do if it snows and we can’t get out?” I ask. “Leave the car and ride out on donkeys,” she laughs, but in complete sincerity. Hours later, we spot the large Medair truck carrying seed and fertiliser. It’s sitting on a high mountain pass with a broken axle and wheel. We’re in the middle of nowhere, and a whole season of snow is about to fall. There is a long moment of silence. Then we get to work.

36 Hours Later

We wave goodbye to families at the distribution point. Our driver turns up the music and everyone laughs in a mixture of disbelief, joy, and utter exhaustion. We did it. Families have food for the winter, and they can plant again in the spring. We distributed 18 tonnes of improved seed and fertilisers in just 36 hours, and trained 224 farmers. They have reason to hope for next year.

– Katherine, Medair relief worker, Afghanistan

Polio this week as of 15 February 2017

• The 12th meeting of the Emergency Committee under the International Health Regulations (IHR) met on 7 February and concluded that current global polio epidemiology continues to constitute a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC).  The Temporary Recommendations promulgated under the IHR remain in effect.  National polio emergency action plans continue to be implemented in all countries affected by circulation of either wild poliovirus or vaccine-derived poliovirus, and all countries currently thus affected have declared these events to be a national public health emergency.  Read about the IHR findings and recommendations here.

• Gates Annual Letter published – zero is the magic number:  Bill and Melinda Gates this week published their Annual Letter, highlighting how close polio eradication is to achieving its goal.  In their letter, they highlight in particular the heroic dedication of health workers around the world and Rotary International, in bringing the world to the threshold of being polio-free.

• Rotary Convention preparations in full swing – Bill Gates to keynote convention in Atlanta, USA, in June.

• A personal video testimonial on living with polio:  Ann Lee Hussey, a polio survivor and volunteer for Rotary International, shares her story of living with polio. Her experiences drive her commitment to end the disease once and for all.

• Summary of newly-reported viruses this week (see country-specific sections below for further details):  Pakistan – one WPV1 positive environmental sample.

"They sleep hungry for nights here. It is cold, they have nothing, no money and they feel they have to do it"

By Lin Taylor and Valeria Cardi

BELGRADE, Feb 16 (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - Wrapped up in grey blankets, migrant boys, some as young as 10, warm themselves by a fire in a large, abandoned warehouse near the main railway station in Serbia's capital Belgrade.

Hungry, destitute and cold, they are often visited by Serbian men who offer to pay them for sex - knowing some are so desperate that they will do anything to survive.

"They come here and target the foolish ones," said Navid, a 16-year-old from Afghanistan, who did not wish to use his real name like other child migrants interviewed by the Thomson Reuters Foundation.

"They ask how much money you need. They pay and they go, but they do bad things with them," he said, explaining how some men offer up to 2,000 euros ($2,114) to have sex with the boys.

However, Navid's Afghan friend, Ali, said he did not blame those boys who sell their bodies in order to get by.

"They sleep hungry for nights here. It is cold, they have nothing, no money and they feel they have to do it," the 16-year-old said through a translator.

Hundreds of child migrants have arrived in Serbia since last year, travelling for months to escape fighting and poverty in Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iraq and Syria.

Like Ali, many are stuck in Serbia unable to continue their journeys to Western Europe because of snow and closed borders, having spent most of their money on smugglers who got them this far.

The United Nations children's agency UNICEF has said children who rely on human smugglers to move through Europe, often under a "pay as you go system", are prone to exploitation and violence, including prostitution and rape.

Around 7,700 migrants live in Serbia, the U.N.'s refugee agency says, with around 1,100 people, mainly Afghans, sheltering in abandoned warehouses in Belgrade.

Save the Children estimates that 10 percent of migrants in Serbia are unaccompanied minors. The charity said it had not heard reports of lone child migrants selling sex in the country.

"When they become stuck in Serbia, or any other country, due to the closed borders, they spend all the money they have, and they need money to continue the journey with smugglers," said Tatjana Ristic, Save the Children spokeswoman in Belgrade.

"It is very often difficult to reach and protect them," she told the Thomson Reuters Foundation.

BEATEN AND KICKED

Serbia, which is not part of the European Union, was a focal point for migrants last year, when hundreds of thousands of migrants travelled through the Balkans to reach Western Europe.

Although that route was closed off last March, Serbian authorities estimate a further 110,000 migrants have passed through the country, many using smugglers to cross Serbia and its barbed-wire border with Hungary.

Ali said his journey had so far cost him 9,500 euros ($10,040) and that he was beaten by smugglers in Bulgaria, forced to eat leaves and drank dirty water to survive.

"I was about to faint because of thirst. But if I didn't keep walking, the smuggler would kick me and punch me," he said.

The eldest son in his family, Navid said he fled to Europe for a better life after suicide bombings devastated his hometown in northeast Afghanistan.

"My mother said, 'If you work in the city, there is fighting. If you go to school, they plant bombs and kill people.' We decided that I should leave," he said in the small room he shares with a 12-year-old boy at the Belgrade warehouse.

His bed, a dirty rug on a concrete floor, is in stark contrast to the heated, government-run refugee centres where some 6,600 migrants live, mostly women and children.

The two teenage boys said the warehouse was their only choice and they feared deportation if they looked for shelter at state-run migrant centres.

However, Dragan Velimirovic, who runs Serbia's largest refugee centre near Adaševci village, about 113 kilometres (70 miles) west of Belgrade, said such fears were unfounded.

Some migrants prefer to sleep rough so they are able to contact smugglers more easily, he said.

"Authorities wouldn't send them back. If authorities wanted to do that, they could do it in 24 hours but they don't want to do that," he told the Thomson Reuters Foundation.