The Refugee Outreach Volunteer programme, initiated in April 2016, complements and extends existing UNHCR coverage to refugees in 47 provinces through its presence and its partners (127 community centres/partner offices/outreach teams).

OPERATIONAL CONTEXT

• As more than 90 per cent of refugees in Turkey live in urban areas spread across 81 provinces, outreach to and communication with the various urban refugee communities remains a serious challenge. Many refugees face obstacles in accessing services due to the lack of information and the limited number of partner offices and community centres. In addition, some refugees cannot reach these offices and centres due to issues related to health and work commitments, as well as financial and cultural constraints.

• To strengthen its outreach activities and to support refugee self-sufficiency, empowerment and social inclusion, a refugee outreach volunteer programme was initiated in cooperation with partners IMPR and ASAM in April 2016, making use of the experience and lessons learned in the region.

• ROVs were selected based on their willingness to help serve their communities; enthusiasm and ability to work as a part of a team; acceptance within the refugee community; and good communication skills. ROVs work on a strictly voluntary and part-time basis.

HIGHLIGHTS

1
Turkey hosts the world’s largest number of refugees.

Close to 490,000
Refugees received one-time cash assistance within UNHCR’s 2016/17 winter support programme to date

Nearly 29,000
Refugees were submitted for resettlement in 2016

Over 7,400
Officials and humanitarians trained by UNHCR on international protection in 2016

MAIN ACTIVITIES

Registration and Refugee Status Determination (RSD)

• Verify registration data of the 2.8 million Syrian refugees under Temporary Protection: The Directorate General of Migration Management (DGMM) and UNHCR are conducting a verification exercise, the first of its kind in Turkey. The exercise aims to update and obtain missing information, including biometric data, contact information, and detailed background information on refugees as well as introduce verification as a continuous part of registration. The outcome will provide the Government of Turkey, UNHCR and other appropriate stakeholders with updated data that can be used to design evidence-based programmes for targeted assistance; promote education and access to employment; identify legal pathways and other durable solutions, such as family reunification, private sponsorship, humanitarian visa programmes, academic scholarships, etc.; and identify and assist persons with specific needs. The roll-out is divided into seven zones covering the 81 locations where Syrians are currently present throughout Turkey.

• Transition Refugee Status Determination (RSD) activities into national procedures: Following the coming into force of the Law on Foreigners and International Protection in April 2014, UNHCR is supporting Turkish authorities to integrate all activities related to RSD, largely carried out by UNHCR under its mandate, into national procedures.

• Register new asylum-seekers from countries other than Syria: More than 78,700 asylum-seekers registered with UNHCR in 2016, the main nationality was Iraqi, followed by Afghan, Iranian, and Somali.

• Determine if asylum-seekers fall within the criteria for international protection: Over 20,000 individuals received a decision on their RSD in 2016, the highest number ever reached by a UNHCR Operation worldwide.

Ten years ago world leaders agreed to work together to stop the use of child soldiers - progress has been made but there are still child recruits in countries around the world. As many as 300,000 children are believed to be serving as soldiers in armed conflicts around the world - depriving them of a normal childhood and education.

These boys and girls, some as young as seven, serve in government forces and armed opposition groups. They fight on front lines, participate in suicide missions and act as spies, messengers or lookouts.

Girls are often forced into sexual slavery. Many are abducted or recruited by force, while others join out of desperation, believing that these armed groups offer their best chance for survival.

Last week, leaders gathered in France to mark the 10th anniversary of the Paris Commitments to end the use of children in conflict.

At least 65,000 children have been released from armed forces and armed groups in that decade, according to the United Nations children's agency UNICEF.

“Ten years ago the world made a commitment to the children of war and matched it with action - action that has helped give 65,000 children a new chance for a better life,” said UNICEF Executive Director Anthony Lake said at the Paris anniversary talks.

“But today’s meeting is not only about looking back at what has been accomplished - but looking forward to the work that remains to be done to support the children of war.”

Here's a look at 10 of the countries where child soldiers are still be recruited and used in conflicts.

AFGHANISTAN

The Afghan National Police, the Afghan Local Police and three armed groups including Taliban forces, were listed as perpetrators by the UN in 2015. Also in that year Child Soldiers International interviewed a 17-year-old boy from Kunar province who had signed up when he was 15 or 16 using a fake ID card. During his recruitment, only the doctor who completed his medical examination asked his age. He went on to join a group of approximately 60 other new recruits for training in Kabul. He thought that around a quarter of them were younger than him.

CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC

As many as 10,000 children were used by armed groups involved in the latest conflict in CAR, according to Child Soldiers International. Armed groups in the mainly Muslim Séléka coalition and predominantly Christian militias called Anti-Balaka both used children as young as eight. The children are used as combatants, guards, human shields, porters, messengers, spies, cooks and/or for sexual purposes.

DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO

In 2011 it was estimated there were 30,000 child soldiers in DRC. In January-February 2016, Child Soldiers International spent six weeks in eastern DRC and interviewed more than 150 former girl soldiers. Children continue to be recruited and used by numerous armed groups. Girls are often used as "wives" and sexually abused by their commanders and other soldiers. Although a third of all children associated with armed groups in DRC are thought to be girls, they make up only about 7% of children released to date. When they are released or escape from armed groups, they receive little or no support to reintegrate into their communities, and many are shunned.

IRAQ

Human Rights Watch has documented the recruitment or use of children by Sunni and Shia Arab armed groups fighting in Iraq, including militias in the battle to retake Mosul. Armed groups in Iraq affiliated to the Kurdistan Workers’ Party have recruited boys and girls, according to an HRW report in December. It documented 29 cases in northern Iraq in which Kurdish and Yezidi children were recruited by two armed groups, the People’s Defense Forces (Hêzên Parastina Gel, or HPG) and the Shingal Resistance Units (Yekîneyên Berxwedana Şingal, or YBŞ).

MYANMAR

Internal armed conflicts have seen children widely used by both state armed forces and armed groups. Despite a minimum enlistment age of 18, large numbers of boys have been recruited, often forcibly, into the national army. Child Soldiers International has helped secure the release of 700 children from the army since 2012 while action has been taken against 382 national army officials.

NIGERIA

The terrorist group Boko Haram recruited 2000 child soldiers in 2016, according to the UN. It was also reported that they used girls as suicide bombers in Maiduguri, when two bombs went off killing at least one person. A local militia member, Abdulkarim Jabo, was reported to have said he thought the girls were each aged about seven or eight, commenting: "They got out of a rickshaw and walked right in front of me without showing the slightest sign of emotion. I tried to speak with one of them, in Hausa and in English, but she didn't answer. I thought they were looking for their mother. She headed toward the poultry sellers, then detonated her explosives belt."

SOMALIA

In April 2016, the UN reported that 903 children had been recruited - 555 by Al-Shabaab. Around 150 children were reportedly abducted for recruitment purposes from madrasas by Al-Shabaab in the Bay region. Of those cases, 26 (all boys) were verified by the UN. The Somali National Army also recruited a high number of children (218), who were used for various tasks, such as manning checkpoints. Recruitment was also attributed to clan militias (68), Ahl al-Sunna wal-Jama‘a (40) and Galmudug forces (17).

SOUTH SUDAN

An estimated 17,000 children have been recruited in South Sudan since 2013. Many children were recruited by the Cobra Faction and the SPLA In Opposition, two armed groups which have been fighting the government. Last October, 145 child soldiers were released, according to UNICEF.

SYRIA

Since 2014, warring sides have recruited children as young as seven. More than half of children recruited in cases verified by UNICEF in 2015 were under 15. Children have been filmed executing prisoners in grisly propaganda videos by the Islamic State group. Last year the UN said: “A total of 362 cases of recruitment and use of children were verified and attributed to ISIL (274), the Free Syrian Army and affiliated groups (62), Liwa’ al-Tawhid (11), popular committees (5), Kurdish People’s Protection Units (4), Ahrar al-Sham (3), the Nusrah Front (2) and the Army of Islam (1). Of the verified cases, 56% involved children under 15 years of age, a significant increase compared with 2014. The payment of salaries and ideology continued to be major influencing factors.”

YEMEN

There have been nearly 1500 cases of child recruitment in Yemen since the escalation of hostilities in 2015. According to UNICEF, this is a long-term problem in Yemen. In Yemeni culture, it’s considered that a boy enters manhood at the age of 14 or 15 - and part of being a man is taking up a weapon. The UN documented nearly 850 cases of child recruitment in 2015, a five-fold increase over 2014. Houthi forces recruited a majority of these children - but Popular Committees and the extremist group Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, which at times reportedly fought alongside pro-government forces, also recruited children. In 2013, the UN secretary-general cited reports of young boys being recruited by Al-Qaeda, also called Ansar al-Sharia, for sexual exploitation.

Several unseasonably dry winters have exacerbated the problem. Heavy rain and snow this year raise hopes groundwater can be replenished, at least for a while.

By Sayed Hassib

KABUL, Feb 28 (Reuters) - A growing population is straining water supplies in Afghanistan's capital, forcing those who can afford it to dig unregulated wells ever deeper to tap a falling water table.

Finding water in arid Afghanistan is virtually always a challenge, but a drop in the groundwater level in Kabul caused by overuse and drought is making it even more difficult for residents, especially the poor.

Modern Kabul was originally planned to support about 1 million people, but is now home to more than 4.6 million, according to U.S. government estimates, with people fleeing violence and seeking jobs thronging into urban centres.

Several unseasonably dry winters, with little rain and a dusting of snow, have exacerbated the problem. Heavy rain and snow this year has raised hopes that groundwater can be replenished, at least for a while.

"The increase in population and drought has resulted in a shortage of water in Kabul, so more people are demanding deeper wells to get it," said Aslam Khan, who runs a well-digging business.

Since 2001, Kabul's sprawl has expanded by nearly 2,500 square kilometres (965 square miles), according to the World Bank, with some of the poorest arrivals perched in homes on rocky hills around the city, where wells are generally non-existent.

At the base of the hills, children cluster around hand-operated pumps, filling buckets and cans before climbing back up to their homes.

"We have lots of problem in getting water," said 15-year-old Mohammad Jaweed, bent under a load for his family.

'NO SERIOUS ATTENTION'

People who can afford it usually dig a well rather than depending on the city's limited water system, but they are having to go ever deeper to reach the receding water.

The depth of a well varies across the city, but Khan said many residents are being forced to dig 10 to 20 metres (32-64 feet) deeper than in the past.

In some cases, wells have to go down 150 metres (492 feet) or more to reach clean water, at a cost of more than $5,200, he said, a price out of reach of many people.

Officials say well digging has spiralled out of control, with little or no regulation of how the ever more scarce water is exploited.

"Unfortunately there hasn't been any serious attention to this," said Hamidullah Yelani, director general of the government's Urban Water Supply and Sewerage Corporation.

In the past, residents have been banned from digging wells within 100 metres (328 feet) of each other, but wells are now routinely dug 5 to 10 metres (16-32 feet) apart, sucking ever more water from the aquifers, said Khan.

Yelani said the government was looking to implement a licensing system. The ministry of water and power did not respond to requests for comment.

Poor residents are not optimistic authorities will get a grip on the problem, at least in a way that will help them get better access.

"The government mustn't allow people to dig deep wells because it has caused many problems," said Mohammad Karim, 60, who said he was too old to carry water up to his home on a hill.

"The poor can't dig deep wells, but that doesn't mean they should die of thirst." (Writing by Josh Smith; Editing by Robert Birsel)

International Development Secretary warns that countries will only achieve security and prosperity if women can play a full and active role.

Countries will only be able to fully recover from conflict if they involve women in building security and stability, International Development Secretary Priti Patel said today following a visit to Afghanistan.

Ms Patel welcomed the progress Afghanistan has made on women’s rights and girls’ education since the Taliban’s repressive rule. But ahead of International Women’s Day next month, she warned that countries like Afghanistan will only achieve security and prosperity if women have the opportunity to play a full and active role in business, politics, peacebuilding and shaping the future of their country.

During her visit, Ms Patel saw a HALO Trust training site where UK funding is helping staff learn to identify and safely remove mines and other unexploded ordnance, saving lives and reclaiming land that can be used for agriculture and building. She also met female HALO workers who identify and map the location of mines for disposal, as well as educating communities and children on the dangers of unexploded ordnance.

Ms Patel also met First Lady Rula Ghani, a champion of women’s rights in Afghanistan. And she spoke to female students, teachers and community advocates who benefit from UK funding that has helped provide education to more than 300,000 girls from rural and impoverished communities, who would have had no opportunity to learn under Taliban rule.

Priti Patel said:

“Afghanistan can only succeed in creating a secure and prosperous future if girls and women are put at the heart of its political and economic development.

“Women and girls are key to delivering real and lasting peace and stability in countries like Afghanistan – and that is clearly in the UK’s interests as well.

“Together, the UK and Afghanistan have made huge progress so far. The inspirational girls and women I met during my visit will be instrumental in charting Afghanistan’s path to prosperity.”

Whilst in Afghanistan, the International Development Secretary also met President Ashraf Ghani and Chief Executive Officer Abdullah Abdullah. She reaffirmed the UK’s enduring commitment to working with the Afghan Government and civil society to improve rights for women and girls, and underlined that this was a critical part of the UK’s pledge of up to £750 million, made at the Brussels Development Conference last year.

She also spent two days in Pakistan prior to visiting Afghanistan. Whilst there, she met Finance Minister Senator Ishaq Dar, the Chief Minister of Punjab, Shahbaz Sharif and Ahsan Iqbal, Minister of Planning and Development.

She visited a UK-funded health centre that provides primary healthcare services including delivering babies, treating child malnutrition, immunisations and family planning services. She also visited a tuberculosis and leprosy hospital to see how UK support is helping to provide state of the art facilities to diagnose and treat patients.

Notes to editors

1.Today, more than seven million children in Afghanistan are attending school and 39% of them are girls; there has been significant progress in maternal healthcare; and women now hold 28% of parliamentary seats.

2.Legislatively, women’s rights have been enshrined in the 2004 Constitution, recognising gender equality and women’s right to education and to work.

3.Significant challenges remain, however. Afghanistan still ranks among the lowest in the world for gender equality. Female literacy rates are extremely low at 17%, only 19% of women are in work, and an estimated 87% of women experience violence, abuse and sexual harassment in private and public life.

4.UK funding has helped 2.5 million girls get an education, including the 300,000 under the Girls Education Challenge programme that supported the teachers and students that the International Development Secretary met during his visit.

5.The UK is also providing services and access to justice for women victims of violence and helping thousands of women access quality jobs and gain business skills. It is also helping to train security and police forces to provide better support on gender and violence issues.

6.International Women’s Day takes place on 8th March and is a global day celebrating the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women. The theme of International Women’s Day 2017 is ‘Be Bold for Change’.

General media queries

Emailmediateam@dfid.gov.uk

Telephone020 7023 0600

Recent heavy snowing have caused avalanches in various mountainous areas of Afghanistan that have caused casualties and destroyed financial resources.
ARCS’s staff and volunteers, as always, have reached the affected population and optimally distributed relief items to 1078 families.
The beneficiaries have considered ARCS’s humanitarian aids vitally important and the lack of these items and services could highly jeopardize their lives. Consequently, they have appreciated the staff and volunteers commitment in rendering health first aid services and providing relief.

Afghan officials say two suicide bombers have struck Kabul in attacks claimed by the Taliban, killing at least one person and wounding dozens.

One assailant targeted the entrance of a district police headquarters in western Kabul as part of a coordinated attack on March 1, Interior Ministry deputy spokesman Najib Danish said. He said a gun battle between police and an unknown number of attackers was ongoing.

Mohibullah Zeer, a Public Health Ministry official, said that one person was killed and at least 37 wounded.

Thick smoke billowed above the police compound, and several rounds of small arms fire as well as other explosions were heard. Danish said a clearing up operation was under way at the site, which is not far from a military training school.

A second suicide bomber, on foot, targeted an office belonging to the national intelligence service in the eastern part of the Afghan capital, Danish said. He said two people were wounded in that attack.

Zabihullah Mujahid, a Taliban spokesman, claimed responsibility for both attacks on behalf of the militant group.

The attacks came shortly ahead of the period when the Taliban, which is seeking to reimpose its rule after being driven from power following the U.S.-led invastion in the wake of the September 11, 2001 attacks on the United States -- normally announce a spring offensive.

Government forces have struggled to control the Taliban insurgency since the NATO-led coalition ended its combat mission in 2014 and most foreign forces withdrew. According to U.S. estimates, the government now controls less than 60 percent of the country, though its forces have managed to hold on to all of the main provincial centers.

Afghan forces are facing mounting pressure from a resurgent Taliban amid record casualties and mass desertions as the insurgents escalate nationwide attacks.

Last month, a suicide bomber killed at least 20 people outside the Supreme Court in Kabul. The extremist group Islamic State claimed responsibility for that attack.

With reporting by AP, Reuters, AFP, and dpa

The Government of Finland directs an additional sum of EUR 20 million for the promotion of sexual and reproductive health and rights in developing countries. The funding was announced by Kai Mykkänen, Minister for Foreign Trade and Development, at the She Decides conference organised in Brussels.

“Sexual and reproductive health and rights are a priority in Finland’s development cooperation. The change in the political climate and especially the cuts in government spending on international development aid, planned by the US, threaten to suspend a large number of projects helping to defend the health of millions of girls, even helping to save their lives. We respond to the situation fraught with distress by investing in the improvement of women’s and girls’ rights even more than before,” said Minister for Foreign Trade and Development Kai Mykkänen.

The additional funding from Finland’s development cooperation appropriations will be complemented by funding from the private sector. The UK-based Children’s Investment Fund Foundation (CIFF) has announced that it will allocate USD 10 million to the promotion of sexual and reproductive health. CIFF is the world’s largest philanthropy that focuses specifically on improving children’s lives.

"I am honoured to join Finland in this public-private sector collaboration. As Finland in recent years has focused on efficiency and results in all their development work, it is a very natural partner for us. We both try to solve problems, rather than just giving and we have found our interaction with the Ministry of Foreign affairs and the Ministry of Finance very speedy and rewarding. This is a generous contribution from a small nation in such a short timeframe," said Sir Chris Hohn, founder of the Children's Investment Fund Foundation.

The additional contribution by CIFF and the Government of Finland amounts to about EUR 30 million in total. More than 220 million women in the world have an unmet need for contraception. Women and girls must have the right to have control over their own bodies and freedom to choose to marry and to have children; this is a central precondition for their full participation in the development of their societies.

“This involves safe childbirths, strengthening of sexual self-determination, the right to have contraception and also a safe abortion – that is, fundamental human rights. Furthermore, each additional year a girl spends at school increases her future salary by 10–20 per cent, and we can estimate that each euro invested in the promotion of sexual and reproductive health benefits the national economy by EUR 120. Support for the rights of women and girls is an important investment in development,” Minister Mykkänen said.

Finland’s additional funding of EUR 20 million targeted at sexual and reproductive health and rights covers, for example, bilateral development programmes in Somalia, Afghanistan and Kenya, as well as humanitarian aid work in Syria. Nearly half of the total sum, EUR 9 million, will be channelled through international non-governmental organisations (INGOs).

In total, Finland’s funding for ongoing sexual and reproductive health programmes amounts to EUR 34 million. In addition, Finland’s core funding to the United Nations Population Fund UNFPA in 2016 amounted to EUR 19 million. Many CSOs receiving programme and project support are working to promote sexual and reproductive health.

The conference on the promotion of sexual and reproductive health and rights in Brussels is part of the #SheDecides initiative, launched by the Netherlands.

The initiative, supported by the Netherlands and countries such as Luxembourg, Canada and Estonia, aims to compensate for the shortage of funding created by recent policy changes. The conference was hosted by the Netherlands, Belgium, Denmark and Sweden, and it brought together representatives of national governments, UN agencies, civil society and the research community in support of the agenda on sexual and reproductive health.

Inquiries: Pasi Rajala, Special Adviser to Minister for Foreign Trade and Development, tel. +358 400 464 393 and Satu Santala, Director General, tel. +358 295 351 815.

The Foreign Ministry's email addresses are of the format firstname.lastname@formin.fi.

La faim persiste dans les zones de conflits chroniques malgré de bonnes récoltes mondiales

Les urgences liées à la sécurité alimentaire sont appelées à augmenter

2 mars 2017, Rome - Selon le dernier rapport de la FAO Perspectives de récoltes et situation alimentaire, si les réserves mondiales de nourriture sont abondantes, l'accès à la nourriture est fortement restreint dans les zones touchées par les conflits civils, tandis que la sécheresse aggrave l'insécurité alimentaire dans de nombreuses régions d'Afrique de l'est.

Près de 37 pays ont besoin d'une aide extérieure pour se nourrir, 28 d'entre eux se situent en Afrique australe et subissent toujours les effets prolongés de la sécheresse de l'année dernière provoquée par le phénomène climatique El Niño et notamment ses répercussions sur les récoltes en 2016. Pourtant, alors que la production agricole devrait connaître un rebond dans cette sous-région, les combats et les troubles prolongés contribuent aux déplacements de population et entraînent des souffrances liées à la faim dans d'autres régions du monde.

La famine a été officiellement déclarée au Soudan du Sud et la situation de la sécurité alimentaire suscite de vives inquiétudes dans le Nord du Nigeria, en Somalie et au Yémen.

Au Soudan du Sud, 100 000 personnes sont confrontées à la famine dans les comtés de Leer et de Mayendit, qui faisaient auparavant partie de l'Etat d'Unité, sachant qu'il existe une «forte probabilité» qu'une situation semblable soit d'actualité dans les deux comtés voisins. D'un point de vue général, près de 4,9 millions de personnes à travers le pays sont classifiées comme étant confrontées à une crise, une urgence ou encore une famine. Ces chiffres devraient augmenter pour atteindre les 5,5 millions, soit presque la moitié de la population du pays lors du pic de la saison creuse en juillet.

« Nous sommes faces à une situation sans précédent. Nous n'avions jamais été confrontés à 4 menaces de famine dans plusieurs pays en même temps » a déclaré M. Kostas Stamoulis, Sous-Directeur général et responsable du Département développement économique et social. « Il s'agit d'agir vite en apportant une aide agricole mais également en renforçant les moyens d'existence afin de s'assurer que de telles situations ne se répètent pas.

Dans le Nord du Nigéria, 8,1 millions de personnes sont en situation d'insécurité alimentaire aiguë et ont besoin d'une intervention humanitaire d'urgence qui devra également protéger leurs moyens d'existence. Malgré des récoltes céréalières supérieures à la moyenne en 2016, cette situation n'a pu être évitée et s'explique notamment par les perturbations causées par le conflit et la forte dépréciation de la monnaie locale.

Au Yémen, où 17 millions de personnes (soit deux tiers de la population) sont considérées comme étant en situation d'insécurité alimentaire, presque la moitié d'entre elles ont besoin d'une aide d'urgence. Le rapport indique que «le risque d'annonce de famine dans le pays est très élevé».

En Somalie, le conflit, l'insécurité civile et la sécheresse ont contribué à doubler le nombre de personnes considérées comme étant en situation de grave insécurité alimentaire depuis six mois (ils seraient près de 2,9 millions). La sécheresse a également contribué à limiter le fourrage disponible pour les éleveurs et pour la troisième fois consécutive, de faibles pluies devraient également nuire à la production agricole dans les régions du sud et du centre, en la faisant baisser de 70 pour cent par rapport à sa moyenne et en favorisant l'épuisement des stocks alimentaires.

Les conflits et les troubles civils en Afghanistan, au Burundi, en République centrafricaine, en République démocratique du Congo, en Irak, en Birmanie et en Syrie ont également contribué à exacerber l'insécurité alimentaire pour des millions de personnes et ont également affecté les pays voisins qui accueillent des réfugiés. De plus, la sécheresse en Afrique de l'Est, à la fin de l'année 2016, a accentué l'insécurité alimentaire dans plusieurs pays de la sous-région.

Les tendances mondiales

De manière générale, en 2016, la production de céréales a connu des gains relativement importants dans le monde, avec notamment une relance record en Amérique centrale et de plus grandes cultures céréalières en Asie, en Europe et en Amérique du Nord.

Si l'on se projette en avant, les premières prévisions mondiales de la FAO pour la production de blé en 2017 indiquent une baisse d'1,8 pour cent par rapport au niveau record enregistré l'année dernière. Cela est principalement dû aux prévisions faisant état d'une baisse de la production de 20 pour cent aux Etats-Unis, où les superficies ensemencées pour le blé d'hiver n'ont jamais été aussi réduites en l'espace de 100 ans. Les prévisions pour les cultures de maïs en 2017 sont favorables au Brésil et en Argentine et les perspectives sont bonnes, de manière générale, pour les céréales secondaires dans tout l'hémisphère sud. Les perspectives pour le riz sont mitigées mais il est encore trop tôt pour se prononcer de manière catégorique pour de nombreuses autres cultures importantes à travers le monde.

En Afrique australe, les récoltes de maïs, amoindries par le phénomène El Niño, devraient s'améliorer cette année, avec notamment la production sud-africaine qui devrait augmenter de plus de 50 pour cent depuis 2016 et avec des tendances semblables vers la hausse dans les pays voisins. Néanmoins, une invasion de chenilles légionnaires et des inondations au Mozambique, en Zambie et au Zimbabwe pourraient limiter les gains de production en 2017.

Les 37 pays ayant actuellement besoin d'une aide alimentaire extérieure sont l' Afghanistan, le Burkina Faso, le Burundi, le Cameroun, la République centrafricaine, le Tchad, le Congo, la République populaire démocratique de Corée, la République démocratique du Congo, Djibouti, l'Erythrée, l'Ethiopie, la Guinée, Haïti, l'Irak, le Kenya, le Lesotho, le Libéria, la Libye, Madagascar, le Malawi, le Mali, la Mauritanie, le Mozambique, la Birmanie, le Niger, le Nigéria, le Pakistan, la Sierra Leone, la Somalie, le Soudan du Sud, le Soudan, le Swaziland, la Syrie, l'Ouganda, le Yémen et le Zimbabwe.

Afghanistan steps up surveillance to accelerate polio eradication

A strong surveillance system is the backbone of Afghanistan’s polio eradication effort. It ensures that every single poliovirus is detected and analysed, enabling a quick and effective response to stop every strain of the debilitating virus.

Afghanistan is closer than ever to stopping polio. The year 2016 ended with only 13 cases, down from 20 in 2015 and 28 in 2014. Most of Afghanistan remains polio-free, with transmission limited to the southern, eastern and southeastern parts of the country. Surveillance is key to ensuring that the virus is tracked and stopped wherever it circulates.

Together with partners of the Global Polio Eradication Initiative, WHO is further strengthening Afghanistan’s surveillance system to accelerate progress towards a polio-free Afghanistan.

Active volunteers track down the virus

Afghanistan currently has a network of 21 000 acute flaccid paralysis (AFP) reporting volunteers, including health workers in health facilities as well as community volunteers such as traditional healers, mullahs, shrine keepers and pharmacists, supported by over 700 AFP focal points. These volunteers actively find and report children who have symptoms that could be polio: floppy, rapid-onset paralysis with no apparent cause. Stool samples are collected from each child with suspected polio, and sent for further laboratory testing and analysis.

“As a doctor I feel it is my responsibility to work for polio eradication in my country. Polio is a devastating disease that can cause permanent paralysis so everyone should play their part in ending this disease,” said Dr Saifurrahman, AFP reporting volunteer from Shah Wali Kot district of Kandahar. “When a patient with floppiness or paralysis comes to the clinic, I examine the child properly and if the signs point to polio, I immediately inform the Provincial Polio Officer, after which we’ll collect stool samples for further testing.”

In 2016, the polio surveillance network reported a total of 2903 AFP cases, of which 13 were confirmed polio cases and 2858 were discarded as non-polio AFP. As of mid-February, 31 cases are pending classification.

An external review conducted in 2016 concluded that Afghanistan’s polio surveillance surpassed global standards and the circulation of wild poliovirus is unlikely to be missed.

With the support of WHO, Afghanistan continues to step up its surveillance system. In last year alone, 458 new surveillance reporting sites have been introduced and the AFP reporting volunteer network expanded by 18%.

When vaccinators go around communities during immunization campaigns and transit teams vaccinate children on the move, they also conduct active AFP case search to further boost AFP surveillance. Active AFP case search has also been incorporated into trainings led by the Ministry of Public Health and WHO ahead of every national immunization campaign.

Strong polio surveillance relies on Afghans who are close to their communities and trusted by them. Saheeb Jaan, a shrinekeeper in Bamyan province, has been a volunteer AFP reporter for 8 years.

“If I see a family come to the shrine with a sick child having weakness or paralysis, I report it to the doctors. WHO has given me a referral notebook so that I can get their information and convince them to call the doctors to make sure their child does not have polio,” she said. “I became a volunteer because it is a good cause and helps save children’s lives. I am happy and proud to be a part of the polio campaign.”

Every single AFP reporting volunteer receives comprehensive training from WHO at least once a year, reviewing key aspects of surveillance such as AFP case definition, clinical signs and symptoms of polio, proper check-up procedures and the protocol for notifying AFP cases to the focal point.

Stepping up environmental surveillance

Environmental surveillance, the collection and laboratory analysis of sewage samples, further increases the sensitivity of surveillance in critical areas.

Afghanistan’s environmental surveillance was set up in Kandahar City in 2013 and samples are now regularly collected from 17 active surveillance sites. WHO and partners conducted a thorough assessment of existing sites in December 2016, leading to three new additional surveillance sites being selected in Kandahar, Nangarhar and Khost, in addition to existing sites in Kabul, Kunar and Helmand. Environmental samples are collected monthly, but sampling frequency has recently been doubled in the south.

In 2016, two poliovirus isolates were reported from environmental samples, down from 19 in 2015.

The road ahead

Afghanistan’s strong surveillance system ensures that the programme continues to find every strain of the virus in its hiding places, accelerating the road ahead to a country free of polio.

Vigorous training of AFP reporting volunteers and focal points remains crucial in order to guarantee that no AFP case is missed and that samples are collected, stored and transported properly. WHO continues to support the training and orientation of new and existing AFP focal points and volunteers to ensure each volunteer is trained at least once a year.

The programme is engaging more private health facilities to further strengthen the AFP reporting network. Currently almost 1400 private practitioners are involved as reporting volunteers around the country, making up 6% of the network, and the number is increasing. Engaging more private clinics will further improve the programme’s ability to find children with paralysis.

“Afghanistan’s surveillance system exceeds global standards but we must continue to stay vigilant and continuously review and expand the system where necessary,” said Dr Hemant Shukla, head of the polio programme at WHO Afghanistan. “Constantly improving the quality and sensitivity of the surveillance system is critical for securing a polio-free future for Afghanistan.”

Key messages

The European Union's current humanitarian actions in Pakistan focus on several separate but interrelated crises:

• Support for people affected by the conflict in the northwest, where more than 420 000 people are presently displaced. The on-going complex emergency remains underfunded with little media attention and is classified by the European Commission as a Forgotten Crisis.

• Support for Afghan refugees living in Pakistan. There are over 1.3 million registered Afghan refugees and an estimated 1.2 million additional undocumented Afghans in Pakistan. The European Commission funds protection activities including legal advice centres and advocacy for the preservation of asylum space, health services, and education for Afghan girls and boys in refugee villages.

• Support for those malnourished and food insecure. A significant part of EU humanitarian funding is directed to the Sindh Province – also classified as a Forgotten Crisis - where limited access to food, water, sanitation and medical services, is exacerbated by floods and drought.

• Response to natural disasters is also an integral part of the EU humanitarian commitment, together with disaster risk reduction, as the country is prone to natural hazards.

FEATURE

Puntland, Somalia and Somaliland

CONTEXT

More than 135,000 people were displaced by drought in Somalia between November 2016 and February 2017. About 3,800 people were pushed by drought over the Ethiopian border into Melkadida refugee camp between 1 January and 21 February. About 75 per cent of children arriving at the camp had acute malnutrition. Puntland and Somaliland in the north, and central and southern Somalia were the areas that were worst affected (UNHCR, 21 February 2017). At least 47,000 people were displaced by drought between 1 and 23 February mainly from rural to urban or peri-urban areas (UNHCR, 23 February 2017).

Somalia’s 1.1 million IDPs live in precarious and insecure conditions in over-crowded settlements, with little or no basic services. Most rely on aid for shelter, food, health, water, sanitation and protection. “In a fragile context such as Somalia, drought has devastating consequences for vulnerable communities who already suffer under protracted conflict and a lack of basic services. Recovery from the 2011 to 2012 famine which left 260,000 people dead, more than half of them children, has been fragile” (ECHO, February 2017).

The drought comes as UNHCR continues a repatriation programme that has brought home 50,000 Somali refugees from Kenya’s Dadaab complex since December 2014. “UNHCR is informing people in the camps about the drought, but so far this does not appear to have had a major effect on returns” (UNHCR, 21 February 2017.

The drought also affected parts of Ethiopia, Kenya, South Sudan and Uganda. This is the third consecutive year of drought in the Horn of Africa. Multiple years of diminished food production has exhausted people’s capacity to cope with another shock. “The greater region suffers from chronic and intensifying conflicts, continued access constraints in some areas, rising refugee numbers and communicable disease outbreaks; and the drought is expected to worsen in the coming months, with low rainfall forecast for March to May - which is the main rainy season” (UNHCR, February 2017).

2 March 2017 – Strongly condemning yesterday's terrorist attacks in the Afghan capital, Kabul, the United Nations Security Council underscored the need to bring the perpetrators, organizers, financiers and sponsors of such “reprehensible” acts to justice.

At least 15 people were killed and dozens more injured in attacks in two areas of the capital. The Taliban has claimed responsibility for the incidents.

In a statement issued late yesterday, the 15-member Security Council stressed that terrorism in all its forms “is criminal and unjustifiable, regardless of its motivation and wherever, whenever and by whomsoever it is committed.

“[It] should not be associated with any religion, nationality, civilization or ethnic group,” the Security Council highlighted.

Also in the statement, Council members voiced serious concern over threats posed by the Taliban, Al-Qaida, Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL/Da'esh) and other illegal and armed groups to the local population, National Defense and Security Forces and the international presence in the country.

“No violent or terrorist acts can reverse the Afghan-led process along the path towards peace, democracy and stability in Afghanistan, which is supported by the people and the Government of Afghanistan, and by the international community,” the Council added.

It also stressed the need for all UN Member States to combat by all means, in accordance with the UN Charter and other obligations under international law, threats to international peace and security caused by terrorist acts.

Further in the statement, the members of the Council expressed their deep sympathy and condolences to the families of the victims, as well as to the people and Government of Afghanistan. They also wished a speedy recovery to those injured.

Internships help launch engineering careers

“One of the most important benefits of this program for me is to be treated as an equal, not only by my mentor, but by all the other colleagues.”

February 2017—A 200-bed women’s dormitory is being constructed at the University of Afghanistan to provide a safe home to women studying in Kabul. But there’s more to the story of how the country’s women are benefiting from the project.

The construction is funded by USAID through its women’s empowerment program, Promote. As part of this $3.9 million design and construction project, implementing partners Perez, APC and Technologists Inc. created a six-month internship initiative that gives female participants the requisite skills and experience they need to launch successful careers in nontraditional occupations such as architecture, engineering and business administration.

Bibi Khairulnesah, who recently earned her bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from the Polytechnical University of Kabul, is one of three young graduates participating in the pilot internship program.

“One of the most important benefits of this program for me is to be treated as an equal, not only by my mentor, but by all the other colleagues. This gives me the confidence to know that I can be successful in this field,” she said.

“We work right at the project site with all the other engineers,” said Fatima Husna Rassuli, a civil engineering graduate of Kabul University. “We get to see how theories from the classroom are applied in a real-world setting.”

Each of the three interns in the first class was selected through a competitive application process based on academic achievement, career goals, and leadership potential. The interns are assigned to a senior mentor who supervises their work and provides regular feedback.

In the first months of the program, the interns received an overview of the design and construction process, and studied architectural, structural and electrical details of the dormitory. Using Auto CAD design software, they completed and analyzed structural drawings. They also received on-site safety training and an orientation to industry-standard construction materials, machinery and techniques.

Following completion of the first class, Perez, APC and Technologists Inc. will select additional interns for subsequent classes that will run concurrently with the construction of the dormitory, scheduled for completion in 2017.

USAID’s Promote program, which runs from 2015 to 2020, is designed to empower women through equal employment opportunities that contribute to Afghanistan’s economic growth.

QUETTA: The UN Refugee Agency’s (UNHCR) country Representative in Pakistan, Indrika Ratwatte together with the Federal Minister for States and Frontier Regions (SAFRON), Lt. General (R) Abdul Qadir Baloch is on a three-day mission in Quetta, where they inaugurated a Skill Development Programme (SDP) on Wednesday.

UNHCR country representative is accompanied by the Country Representative of UNICEF, Angela Kearney; Chief Commissioner Afghan Refugees, Dr. Imran Zeb and other heads of UN agencies at provincial level. The visiting delegation also met speaker provincial assembly and acting Governor Raheela Durrani.quetta qadir baloch pix

Under the SDP, over 200 Afghan and Pakistani youth will be trained with marketable skills over the next three months in Quetta, Pishin, Killa Abdullah, Loralai and Killa Saifullah. Vocational training will be offered to young women and men in professions, including beauticians, tailors, plumbers, electricians, stone masons and fridge, mobile phone, solar panel repair technicians.

The skills development programme is part of the UNHCR’s Refugee Affected and Hosting Area (RAHA) initiative. The project costing Rs. 30 million (USD 300,000) will train over 700 young people up to the age of 25 years old in all four provinces.

Indrika Ratwatte in his interaction with different stakeholders in Balochistan, reiterated UNHCR’s commitment to continue supporting Pakistan, especially in the sector of skills development and education for youth. He said: “Youngsters are the agents of change, by providing equal opportunities to local and refugee youth, we are preparing them to build a brighter future for their home countries and for themselves.”

Minister Baloch appreciated UNHCR’s efforts for empowering Afghan and Pakistani youth. He called upon the international community to extend more support to Pakistan for hosting the world’s largest protracted refugee population and to enable sustainable voluntary return to Afghanistan. He said: “The world cannot afford to fail the new generation of refugee youth who have great potential be become successful individuals and play constructive role for peace building in the world.”

Mr Ratwatte on Friday, 24 February will also handover to the Secretary Education (Acting) Shan ul Haq a set of classroom and laboratory furniture for some forty-five primary and secondary schools in Quetta.

The delegation will also visit the Proof of Registration Card Modification (PCM) Centre in Quetta and attend an interactive meeting with Afghan refugee elders.

Activists warn of flourishing trade in male prostitution and “bacha bazi” or boy play.

By Qayum Babak

The majestic blue-tiled Hazrat e-Ali mosque complex in the centre of Mazar e-Sharif serves as a recreational space as well as a place of worship for many of the city’s residents.

But Ahmad Javed, (not his real name), lounging on a chair near the public toilets, was there for business.

The 15-year-old was waiting for customers looking for sex at the shrine, revered as the burial place of Ali, the son-in-law of Prophet Muhammad.

“Because I’m so poor and have no other work, I have to come here to bargain with older men over the price of having sex with them, just to earn a little money,” he said.

Javed said that many of his sex worker friends also came to the mosque complex to find customers. It had become a well-known marketplace for such services, he continued, adding, “I’m happy that the police don’t interfere in our business… as long as we don’t have any problems with our customers.”

Human rights activists say there is a flourishing trade in sex with young boys in the northern province of Balkh. As well as male prostitution, there remains the time-honoured practice, deplored by human rights defenders and clerics, of “bacha bazi” or boy play.

Boys kept by powerful older men are made to dance at special parties, and often sexually abused afterwards. Also known as “bacha bereesh” - literally, “beardless boys”, they are under 18, with 14 the preferred age.

Local strongmen often keep boys for sex, even competing with each other over who had the most handsome youths or the most talented dancers.

Qazi Syed Ahmad Same, head of the northern branch of the Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission (AIHRC), said that his organisation had long campaigned for the government to act against such abuse.

“Having sex with young boys is inhumane and we want the government to take serious action against such shameful acts,” he said.

He noted that the AIHRC had carried out a major national investigation into the issue in 2014, speaking to nearly 2,000 people across 14 provinces of the country. The research revealed that poverty was a key factor in the spread of such abuse, as well as the lack of law enforcement and the fact that powerful people were able to act with impunity.

Many boys also became involved in sex work after being abused, the study also found.

That was the experience of Younis, originally from the Maimanah district of the northern Faryab province.

“When I was 14, I used to fly kites,” he recalled. “One day when I was flying a kite in a small garden in our village, two youths came up to me and held me down tightly and raped me. It was such a painful experience.”

He continued, “After I was sexually assaulted, I was so sad and so depressed that I thought that my life was over. I was too frightened and scared to able to talk about this experience with anyone. Just a few days after the assault, one of the youths who had sexually assaulted me came along with two other men and forced me to have sex with them again. This time, they paid me a lot of money to keep silent.

“After that, my attackers told their friends and other people how they had had sex with me and eventually I became involved in sex work.”

Younis is now employed in a mosque west of Mazar e-Sharif, far away from his hometown, calling the faithful to prayer five times a day and sweeping the compound. The worshippers know nothing about his past, he said, and he himself now bitterly regrets selling himself for sex.

DEFINING THE CRIME

What complicates the issue of sexual exploitation is that homosexual acts are utterly taboo in Afghan society, as well as being illegal under both Sharia and Afghan law. Homosexuality is generally categorised as a form of deviance and associated with prostitution and pedophilia.

Mawlawi Ghulam Jelani Hanif is a member of Balkh’s Scholars’ Council and one of Mazar-e Sharif’s leading religious scholars.

“In Islam the punishment for every kind of sexual abuse and assault is clear,” he said. “Such kinds of execution were only seen during the Taleban regime. I saw many executions of homosexuals in the parks of the main cities of our country during the Taleban regime where the men were killed publicly either by flogging or by toppling a wall on them.”

Bacha bazi itself is not clearly defined in Afghan law, but article 427 of the Criminal Law prohibits rape and pederasty and states that perpetrators are liable to a long period of imprisonment. New legislation under consideration by parliament is intended to define both the crime and the possible penalties more clearly.

Saleh Mohammad Khaliq, Balkh’s director of information and culture, said, “Prostitution whether male or female is a crime and regarded as a wicked, immoral, and sinful act in our country. The people who commit such crimes should be punished.”

“Due to the fact that that powerful people who break the law are not prosecuted and punished, and because of the inability of the judicial services to implement the law, pederasty and sex with young boys has increased in Afghanistan,” Khaliq continued.

“People who have sex with young boys can be sentenced to a long prison term, but I think this isn’t enough and that there should be more severe punishments for those who force young boys to have sex with them,” he concluded.

Others say that long periods of lawlessness throughout decades of conflict in Afghanistan had exacerbated rates of abuse.

Civil society activist Azeem Azeemi said, “Unfortunately, during the wars in Afghanistan criminals who had sex with young boys were not punished or prosecuted due to the lack of law enforcement. That meant that this wicked custom became more common and increased.”

Balkh police chief Syed Kamal Sadat said that they were now “acting seriously” against perpetrators and had arrested and were prosecuting 60 men for pederasty in 2016.

He added, “We will continue to make great efforts to arrest people who commit such shameful and wicked acts in Balkh province.

Fawzia Hamidi, a lawyer with the violent crime department of Blakh’s attorney’s office, told IWPR that they had already finished investigating about half of the cases, but that an enormous amount of work remained.

She said, “Some people among the accused are related to local commanders.”

Sadat agreed, adding that powerful local officials also had a record of supporting and defending such criminals, going as far as preventing police officers from arresting them and even sheltering suspects in their own homes.

Balkh provincial council head Afzal Hadid said this was not true and was just an attempt by police to cover up their own failure to enforce law and order. Law enforcement officials were also corrupt, he added.

He added, “Government offices and departments always try to make excuses to hide their carelessness and irresponsibility. They accuse us, while they take bribe money to release people who commit pederasty.”

Even when perpetrators are brought to justice, their victims face a troubled future. There have been many cases in which the boys themselves have been prosecuted, and experts say that the psychological effects of abuse are long-lasting.

Mohammad Alim Raheen, a psychiatrist and the chancellor of Balkh’s medical university, said that the repercussions were often severe.

“Almost all boys who involved in sex work are affected by mental disorders such as depression, anxiety, nightmares, paranoia and other similar problems,” he said. “These boys spend their whole lives suffering.”

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

Story Highlights

• A village girls’ school in Daykundi Province is raising the quality of education through grants from EQUIP and its own school improvement projects inspired by the program

• Students are more enthusiastic about learning after the school acquired appropriate teaching facilities and materials with help from EQUIP

• EQUIP has built schools, awarded grants for enhancing education quality, and engaged communities through school management councils in all of the province’s districts

SANGMOM VILLAGE, Daykundi Province– Dozens of girls in robin egg-blue school uniforms and white headscarves are running around the schoolyard of Zainabia Sanmom Girls High School. A volleyball match between two school teams is going on, and groups of girls sit in the shade of the sturdy school building, cheering on the players. The whitewashed walls of the school are painted with the labeled flags of dozens of countries.

Inside, groups of girls sit at small desks, reading aloud from books as their teacher leads the lesson from the blackboard. In the school’s red-carpeted computer laboratory, girls gather in pairs around solar-powered desktop computers, learning to use them. “When we first came to this building, we had just classrooms and blackboards, that was it,” says Kobra Haidari, the school principal, about Zainabia Sanmom Girls High School.

The school has an enrollment of over 1,000 students from about 400 households in Sangmom village in Daykundi Province in central Afghanistan. It was able to improve its facilities and teaching materials with the help from the Education Quality Improvement Program (EQUIP). EQUIP provided the school an Infrastructure Development Grant (IDG) in 2008 and a Quality Enhancement Grant (QEG) a year later.

Both grants were used to buy computers, laboratory materials, and solar panels, establish a library, dig a well for clean drinking water, and paint the school walls. The school also bought trees and other plants to educate students on the importance of preserving the environment and to green the school grounds.

“The grants provided us with the necessary supplies and the students are happier and more eager to come to school now,” says Kobra Haidari. At the same time, the EQUIP support inspired the school administration and community to start their own school improvement projects, including the creation of volleyball teams, essay competitions, and poetry readings.

As a result, the quality of teaching has improved as teachers are equipped with the appropriate teaching aids and materials to conduct laboratory experiments and other hands-on exercises. “Before, we didn’t have computers and all of our lessons were theoretical,” says Sakina Hussaini, 25, a computer and history teacher at the school. “With the computers, the lessons are going well.”

EQUIP, now in its second phase, seeks to increase equitable access to quality basic education, especially for girls. It is implemented by the Ministry of Education and was first funded by the International Development Association (IDA), the World Bank Group’s fund for the poorest countries. The Afghanistan Reconstruction Trust Fund(ARTF) has taken over funding as co-financier of the project.

" The grants supported by EQUIP provided us with the necessary supplies and the students are happier and more eager to come to school now." Kobra Haidari Principal, Zainabia Sanmom Girls High School.

Community engagement raises education quality

In Daykundi Province, EQUIP has constructed schools, awarded QEGs between $2,000 and $5,000 to improve the quality of education at local schools, and engaged the community by establishing School Management Shuras, or councils.

EQUIP programs have been implemented in 350 of the 376 schools in the province. EQUIP has built 63 school buildings across all eight districts of the province since it began work in Daykundi in 2004. “We have worked in Daykundi to provide equal opportunities to both girls and boys in schools,” says Mousa Azad, an EQUIP program officer for Daykundi Province. “The *shuras* have helped us a lot in this work. The community engagement has improved the quality of our work.”

The *shuras* have solved problems at the school, including teacher shortages and issues with drinking water. In addition to discussing school issues, the *shuras* are an opportunity for the community to gather together. “EQUIP has helped us because it created the *shura*, which is solving all our problems,” says Kobra Haidari. “Students’ parents participate in *shura* meetings every month and we have solved many problems through the council.”

The students are enthusiastic about the improvements the program has brought. “In the past, we didn’t have computer or science laboratories. Our school was just stones,” says Shukria, 17, who is in 12th grade. “Now our area is greener, the school is more interesting, they painted the walls, and we can learn practically and theoretically. Before, I didn’t even know how to turn on a computer, and now I can work with one.”

Raising the quality of education has paid off, with students gaining a good foundational knowledge and being empowered to pursue higher studies. Hania Mohammadi, 17, an 11th grader at the school points out, “Most of the girls who graduated from this school were accepted into universities. Our studies are going well.”

SC/12738

The following Security Council press statement was issued today by Council President Matthew Rycroft (United Kingdom):

The members of the Security Council condemned in the strongest terms the heinous and cowardly terrorist attacks that occurred on 1 March 2017 in two areas of Kabul, Afghanistan, which resulted in at least 15 people dead and dozens injured, for which the Taliban has claimed responsibility.

The members of the Security Council expressed their deep sympathy and condolences to the families of the victims and to the people and Government of Afghanistan and welcomed their unity in confronting this tragedy. They wished the injured a speedy recovery.

The members of the Security Council reiterated their serious concern at the threats posed by the Taliban, Al-Qaida, Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL/Da’esh) and illegal and armed groups to the local population, National Defense and Security Forces and the international presence in Afghanistan.

The members of the Security Council underlined the need to bring perpetrators, organizers, financiers and sponsors of these reprehensible acts of terrorism to justice, and urged all States, in accordance with their obligations under international law and relevant Security Council resolutions, to cooperate actively with the Afghan authorities in this regard.

The members of the Security Council reiterated that terrorism in all its forms and manifestations is criminal and unjustifiable, regardless of its motivation and wherever, whenever and by whomsoever it is committed, and should not be associated with any religion, nationality, civilization or ethnic group.

The members of the Security Council reaffirmed the need for all States to combat by all means, in accordance with the Charter of the United Nations and other obligations under international law, in particular international human rights law, international refugee law and international humanitarian law, threats to international peace and security caused by terrorist acts.

The members of the Security Council reiterated that no violent or terrorist acts can reverse the Afghan-led process along the path towards peace, democracy and stability in Afghanistan, which is supported by the people and the Government of Afghanistan, and by the international community.

For information media. Not an official record.

At the age of 10, Alidad Shiri set off alone for Europe. Fifteen years later, he is about to graduate with a degree in philosophy from the University of Trento.

By: Barbara Molinario | 3 March 2017

BOLZANO, Italy– Afghan refugee Alidad Shiri was just a boy of 10 when he set off alone on a four-year odyssey to Europe. Now aged 25, he is about to graduate with a degree in philosophy from the University of Trento.

Alidad was born in Ghazni, Afghanistan, where his childhood was cut short at the age of nine when his father was killed. The following year, his mother, grandmother and baby sister died in a bombing. “When I was given the news, I couldn’t understand anything,” he said. “I just cried and couldn’t talk to anyone or play any more for months.”

Shortly afterwards, Alidad fled to Pakistan with his aunt’s family. However, he dreamt of finding a place where he could be safe and continue studying. He could not achieve this if he stayed in Pakistan. At the age of 10, he set off alone for Europe to fulfil his dreams.

In Iran, he found work in a factory making refrigerator parts. It employed regular workers during the day and undocumented refugee and migrant children at night. Despite the poor pay and gruelling work, Alidad was happy to be able to support himself and would have stayed in Iran if he had had the chance to enrol in school. At the time, however, refugee children were unable to obtain an education in Iran. Over the next three years, he turned to smugglers to help him cross into Turkey and Greece, suffering abuse and risking his life countless times.

While crossing on foot between Turkey and Greece, Alidad and other refugees were abandoned by the smugglers. They walked for days until they ran out of food and water.

“Water was splashing on my face. The truck was speeding and I was crying and shouting, but no one could hear me.”

He recalled how three Somali women were unable to keep up with the group. They begged for water, but he knew he would not have survived if he had given them his last supplies.

“In the end, we had to leave them behind,” he said. “They stayed in the mountains alone. I’m sorry I left them there without water. They probably died. I still think about them all the time.”

When Alidad arrived in the Greek city of Patras, he had just turned 14. He found a job picking tomatoes, working 12 hours a day for €2.50 an hour. He lived in an apartment with 25 refugees who, like him, were waiting for the chance to board a ferry for Italy.

One night, he succeeded in climbing over the barbed wire of Patras harbour. He found a truck and climbed onto the axle, tying himself to it using his trousers and belt. Alidad had planned to leave the truck as soon as the ferry docked, but the driver kept going for four hours.

“When the truck got off the ferry in Venice it was dark and it was raining,” he said. “Water was splashing on my face. The truck was speeding and I was crying and shouting, but no one could hear me.”

At last, the truck stopped at a petrol station and Alidad, who had not eaten for two days, was so exhausted he could barely walk. He found his way to a highway where he was picked up by the police. That night, he was placed in a reception facility for unaccompanied minors in South Tyrol, in northern Italy.

Four years and six months after leaving Afghanistan, he was finally safe. Life in the reception facility was very different from what he had experienced on the road. Soon he was enrolled in school and learning Italian. When he reached 18, however, he had to leave the facility but he was not yet ready to live on his own.

“Our children have grown with Alidad. They’ve learned a way of life, of thinking, of speaking.”

Gerhard Duregger, 47, the facility’s director, and his wife, Sabine Gamper, decided to give him a home with them. “Taking in Alidad in our home was a way for me to react to something that was happening in the world,” Gerhard said. “My family and I are not out to save the world, but we wanted to show that it is possible to do something, to open up and live together.”

Sabine, also 47, recalled the difficulties of having a teenage boy who was struggling to fit into a new community. His determination sometimes wavered and he wanted to drop out of education, but Sabine and Gerhard, with the help of Alidad’s teachers, persuaded him not to give up.

“Sometimes I am amazed,” Sabine said. “There is such lightness in him, vision and strength, which is sometimes missing in our people here. We are very proud of him.”

With the help of his Italian teacher, Gina Abbate, Alidad started writing about his experiences in Afghanistan and during his journey. His writings were later turned into a book entitled “Via dalla Pazza Guerra” (“Away from the crazy war”), which he has presented in hundreds of schools to teach Italian students what it means to be forced to flee.

Alidad still lives with Sabine, Gerhard and their three children. “When you open up, new life comes in and yours becomes richer, wider, bigger,” Gerhard said. “This experience has made us grow. Our children have grown with Alidad. They’ve learned a way of life, of thinking, of speaking that is different from ours.”

Now aged 25, Alidad has been studying philosophy at the University of Trento and is about to graduate. He has been writing for two local newspapers and plans a career in journalism.

“If you read my book, it looks like I am brave person,” he said. “That’s not true. I am a normal person like everybody else. I took this journey because I had no other choice.”

The First Meeting of South Asia Parliamentarian Platform for Children

KATHMANDU - Friday, March 3 2017: UNICEF South Asia, in coordination with the Parliament of Nepal, organized the first South Asia Parliamentarian Platform for Children in Kathmandu on March 2. The meeting is taking place for two days.

In South Asia – home to 1.7 billion people and 621 million children under 18 – despite economic growth and consequent improvements in realizing the rights of children, massive disparities still exist preventing children from living in dignity, reaching their full potential and making choices about their futures.

Every child, especially the most vulnerable, deserve a fair chance in life – a chance to complete a quality healthcare, education and contribute fully to a peaceful and prosperous future for themselves and their communities.

At UNICEF, we realize that when parliaments speak on behalf of children their voices resonate. Parliaments throughout the world including in South Asia have the power to create lasting changes for children. They can allocate resources from national budgets, establish strong policy directions, as well as formulate and enforce laws that protect children. It is therefore essential that UNICEF engage strategically with parliamentarians in moving forward the agenda for children.

“It is time for us to question ourselves on how much we have been able to do to narrow the gap between the rich and the poor children. I am confident that these two days will not only help develop our relations but also help us firm up our commitment in drawing up a work plan on critical issues related to children,” said Honorable Ranju Kumari Jha, Chairperson of the Parliamentary Committee of Women, Children, Senior Citizens and Social Welfare, Parliament of Nepal, during her opening remarks at the meeting.

“This meeting provides a forum to agree to establish a ‘South Asia parliamentarian’s network’, where we can share and learn from one another. Influencing programmes, policies and budgets in favour of the most marginalized and excluded children has the potential to help break intergenerational cycles of poverty and deprivation. I am confident that together we will find ways to translate our commitment to child rights into results, for EVERY child in South Asia,” said Jean Gough, Regional Director of UNICEF South Asia.

This regional meeting is a milestone in bringing together lawmakers from all eight countries in South Asia to prioritise, promote, and safeguard children’s rights. It is also an opportunity to plug in the critical role that parliamentarians can play in tackling key development challenges affecting children in the region in the larger framework of the Sustainable Development Goals. Moreover, the meeting’s goal is to establish a regional parliamentarian platform to ensure broad support and commitment in building sustainable public systems that work for children.

###

Quotes from parliamentarians representing eight countries in South Asia:

1. Afghanistan:“Afghanistan is very close to eradicating polio. There were 20 cases in 2015, 13 in 2016 but this year it is only 2. The challenge is that we cannot eradicate polio from Afghanistan unless it is eradicated from Pakistan and vice versa. Therefore, it is important for both countries to join the efforts and eradicate it for good. – Honourable Dr. Mujeeburahman Chamkani, Chairman of the Health Committee, Afghanistan

2. Bangladesh:“In Bangladesh, 40 per cent of the total population are children. Since they are not eligible for voting, they are dependent on people's representative for their rights and security. Thus we, the parliamentarians, have greater roles to play and we need to be extremely proactive now, more than ever for the wellbeing of our children.” – Honourable Jebunnesa Afroz, Member of Parliament, Bangladesh

3. Bhutan:“This meeting is very timely as it brings together eight countries with different situations but same child-related concerns like health, education, child protection, etc. We look forward to sharing our experiences and learning from the best practices of other countries. At the same time, take good ideas and discussions from the meeting for consideration back home – in our efforts to further improve child rights.” – Honourable Mingbo Dukpa, Member of Parliament, Bhutan

4. India:“A platform of this kind is our opportunity to understand, learn from each other, about the role that we as parliamentarians can play in achieving Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) for children. Since the SDGs have an equity-based approach, ensuring no one is left behind, our work as legislators is to make sure that all children have access to services and that no child is left behind.” – Honourable Vandana Chavan, Member of Parliament, India

5. Maldives:“We must make laws to give them (children) better food, medicine and education. With this, we can have a prosperous future and a good generation of youth who will make a better world for all of us.” – Honourable Ali Nizar, Member of Parliament, Maldives

6. Nepal:“It is time for us to question ourselves on how much we have been able to do to narrow the gap between the rich and the poor children. I am confident that these two days will not only help develop our relations but also help us firm up our commitment in drawing up a work plan on critical issues related to children. – Honorable Ranju Kumari Jha, Chairperson of the Parliamentary Committee of Women, Children, Senior Citizens and Social Welfare, Parliament of Nepal

7. Pakistan:“One issue which really touches my heart is chronic malnutrition because almost one out of two children in Pakistan is stunted. There is a political will at the federal- and the provincial-level. Our Vision 2025 is addressing this issue and is in line with the Sustainable Development Goal. We will benefit from the learnings and experiences from this meeting and this will result in something good for children in Pakistan.” – Honourable Ramesh Singh Arora, Member of Parliament, Pakistan

8. Sri Lanka:“Even though our indicators are really good, we still have issues like child marriage, school drop-outs and migration affecting children. Therefore we, as parliamentarians, have formed a caucus to address the issues of children in Sri Lanka. We hope that this meeting will be a platform to share our experiences and learn from each other. We are committed to optimizing the survival, growth and development of all children across our country.” – Honourable Dr. Sudarshani Fernandopulle, Member of Parliament, Sri Lanka

For further information please contact:

Mr. Jean Jacques Simon
Regional Chief of Communication
UNICEF South Asia
Tel: +977-1- 9801030076, E-mail: jsimon@unicef.org

Notes to editors:

http://www.unicefrosa-progressreport.org/

Download pictures from the event:

http://bit.ly/2m0Qq2e

About UNICEF

UNICEF promotes the rights and wellbeing of every child, in everything we do. Together with our partners, we work in 190 countries and territories to translate that commitment into practical action, focusing special effort on reaching the most vulnerable and excluded children, to the benefit of all children, everywhere.

For more information about UNICEF South Asia and its work for children visit www.unicef.org/rosa

For the latest available data on children visit data.unicef.org.

Follow UNICEF South Asia on Twitter and Facebook.