North and North-Eastern Afghanistan – Humanitarian Regional Team Meeting

30 April2017 at UNICEF Mazar-e-SharifCompound

Participants: UNICEF, UNHCR, UNMAS, IOM, DACAAR, CARE, OCHA, UNFAO,

# / Agenda Item / Issues / Action Points
1 / Welcome and introductions / OCHA welcomed the participants to the current HRT; and thanked humanitarian partners for active participation in the HRT held on 30 April.
2 / Review of previous HRT action points / Key action points from the HRT held on 30 March 2017:
UNICEF / WASH Contingency Planning:
  • Only 2 provinces Baghlan and Samangan shared their inputs, but other provinces did not share. The reason was delayed recruitment of officials in the DoRRD offices, as no one feels responsible / accountable to carry out the given tasks. However, UNICEF will be sharing a draft plan by end of current week.
  • There are two standby PCAs with two NGOs (DACAAR and ADEO). These agencies are ready for anyemergency WASH Intervention. Now DACAAR is following up on drinkable water need of flood affected people in Robatak area of Samangan province with UNICEF funding. DACAAR is providing drinkable water through water trucking as short-term response, while will repair the water pipe network as the long-term approach. Also UNICEF has got water purification tablets, collapsible water reservoirs.
OCHA on use of HEAT:
  • OCHA has already discussed with ARCS regional office on use of HEAT. The ARCS team in the Region does not have any objection on use of HEAT however need approval from their HQ and training on how to use it.
  • IOM has received instruction to use to HEAT on pilot basis after following up of OCHA with IOM in Kabul. NGOs were requested to call IOM to join the assessment where the HEAT is used, so this could be an approach for piloting the HEAT.
Concern on treatment of Leishmanial cases of returnees in Samangan province:
  • WHO had been requested to follow up on provision of no treatment for Leishmania cases of returnees in Samangan province. WHO provided training on Leishmania treatment and control to the following staff member of DoPH across Northern region:
Province / Total Participants / Date / Remarks
Samangan / 24 / 11-13 March 2017
Jawzjan / 28 / 7-9 March 2017
Faryab / 40 / 1-3 and 11-13 March 2017 / In two batches
Balkh / 49 / 18-20 and 21-23 April 2017 / In two batches
3 / Sub-clusters-updates / Protection:
  • Education for IDP children is challenging.
  • Some of the IDPs children could be referred to Community Based Schools.
  • Transfer of documents of children from insecure areas is the main challenge.
  • Out of 19 schools closed, only 4 schools remained as closed according to UNICEF.
  • Training of OCT members on protection: the OCTs will be conducted as soon as the training package is ready.
  • Petitions beyond 6 months are not accepted by ERM partners, so SOPs are requested to highlight these challenges. How to harmonize the approach.
ESN:
  • No gap in the provision of NFI, enough NFI stock to any emergency.
  • A new Online reporting tool has been introduced. One UNHCR colleague has been trained on this. It is simple online reporting system. The agencies can enter their data online on stock and distribution, but it is managed centrally not in the region. The link has already been shared with partners.
  • UNHCR announced sufficient amount of tents (6,000 in Kabul) can be used for Natural Disaster and Conflict emergencies.
WASH:
  • DACAAR is busy with provision of water for 1,300 families whose water pipe network had been damaged by flooding in Robatak area of Samangan province.
  • Two water pipe schemes were repaired in Qushtepa district of Jawzjan (it was damaged by flooding)
  • 16 water points under PRRD completed in Aqcha, Mingajict districts of Jawzjan province.
  • No major gap.
DACAAR WASH activities under during Jan – April 2017:
  • 384 hygiene kits for conflict IDPs in Baghlan province
  • 14 latrine piece for conflict IDPs in Baghlan-e-Jadid
  • 366 hygiene kit and hygiene messages for conflict IDPs in Dand-e-Ghoriarea of Baghlan province
  • 672 hygiene kits and hygiene messages for IDPs in Kunduz
  • 136 latrine piece for IDPs in Kunduz
  • 116 BSF piece for IDPs in Kunduz
  • 297 hygiene kit including hygiene messages for IDPs in Balkh province
  • 7 latrine piece for IDPs in Balkh
  • Safe drinking water for 109 IDP families for one month in Balkh province
Nutrition:
  • UNICEF has got 7 extenders in 7 out of 9 provinces. They are based in the provinces and ready for any nutrition related assessments and monitoring.
  • The recruitment process of extenders for Sar-e-Pul and Faryab province is ongoing.
FSAC:
  • WFP and MAILare planning to conduct the district level food security and livelihood survey in Kunduz and Baghlan provinces. The survey result will be analyzed by VAM unit and will be shared with different entities later. This survey has already been completed in Nangarhar province in the East and will be expanded to other provinces soon.
  • The seasonal support food is used instead of FFW in the 6 insecure districts (Khost / Baghlan, Sar-e-Pul center, Marmul, Zari and Keshendeh in Balkh province as well as Ruy-e-Duab in Samangan province across North and Northeastern provinces. WFP under the seasonal support food targets 7,714 the most insecure families in the 6 insecure districts. WFP started this project on 25 March and will be continuing for two additional months.
  • WFP is closing its office in Kunduz and Faryab. Even has closed the PAT office in Faryab. Also Faryab province has been phased out from WFP food for asset creation.
  • Hence Food stock in Faryab and Kunduz is a gap. However, ANDMA food, as an alternative, is to be considered. OCHA was requested to get information about the current food stock of ANDMA.
  • The ERM 7 that is going to start could likely address the food needs of the affected people.
Heath:
  • A new Medical Officer has recently joint WHO Mazar office, this could be another opportunity forbetter follow upof health issues in the Northern region.
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  1. OCHA to follow up with NRC and other partners on possibility of additional HEAT training
  1. OCHA to get information about the current food stock of ANDMA

4 / Spring season IDP and Flood response / IOM:
Total: 682 families mainly in Takhar, Baghlan, Balkh provinces
122 families were assessed and verified as flood affected families in samangan province; distribution for this caseload will be on 2 May.
376 flood affected families were identified in Baghlan province; the distribution is taking place on 1 may.
Takhar: 45 – distribution will be done today for remaining. The gap for 111 tents addressed by FOCUS
  • No major gap in the IDP response
  • Issues from Taluqan by OCHA on IDP preparedness and response: in the OCT last Thursday: OCHA encouraged the OCT to assess the camp where the IDPs settle. The provincial measure is only for 2 weeks. The OCT expects the surge staff to Taluqan in case of large volume of IDPs.
  • Take protection from the beginning of the IDP movement.
  • 2015 not prepared. In 2016 somehow better prepared. Concern WW has got stock for more than 1,000 families. Also there is conflict in the North of Takhar that might change the dynamic.
  • Assessment to be expedited. Additional training on HEAT and further tablets are needed.
  • Principled humanitarian action; those who stay in the city should be receiving the same treatment as those in the camp.
  • Health and Hygiene messages should be part of the emergency packages to avoid the infectious diseases.

5 / Humanitarian Access /
  • No major gap was reported. However, on a positive note the HRT noted that the ARCS along with Governmental line departments (ANDMA and DoRR) managed to conduct the assessment in Surkhkotal – Dahana-e-GhoriInPulekhurmri that is an insecure location.
  • Also it was noted that some of humanitarian partners conducted the assessment in the insecure areas under the control of NSAGs such as Qala-e-Zal, Chardarah during the suspension of ICRC activities in the Northeast.

6 / AOB / IOM briefed on Displacement Trucking Matrix as follows:
  • Any information on IDP and returnees (documented and undocumented) in3 provinces – Balkh, Kunduz and Baghlanwill be entered. This program is for 3 months and will be providing information on number of IDPs in the districts and province.
  • The team will be approaching the elderly – head of villages and community representatives and then will be conducting house to house assessment. IOM team was advised to discuss with the current inter-agency team in Balkh province, so to get the lessons learned for IDP assessment.
UNMAS shared following points with regard to ACAP III:
  • Currently UNMAS is in negotiations with UNICEF on printing Mine Risk Education material. After printing the MRE, UNMAS will be distributing it to schools including the CBS (Community Based Schools).
  • More than 1,000 families received food assistance since 2015 under ACAP III.
  • So far 23 families have received the reintegration assistance; the process will be expedited and 70 more families are expected to receive the reintegration assistance soon.
  • UNHCR informed the HRT that a regional meeting between ERM, ACAP III and PSN was conducted. This meeting aims to help avoiding duplication, harmonize the approach and establish the referral.
  • Extenders of UNICEF’s work was also appreciated in taking part in the assessment even not area of their responsibility.

End.

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