JANN monthly briefing
November 2006
1. Political Developments
NATO members held a conference in Latvia at the end of November, during which they focused in particular on reviewing progress in Afghanistan. Delegates agreed to lift some of the restrictions governing troop deployment that have been imposed by many troop contributing countries. As a result, it was reported that around 20,000 of NATO’s 32,000 troops in Afghanistan will now be able to be used with greater flexibility.
Meanwhile, a number of NGOs issued press releases calling on NATO forces in Afghanistan to focus their attention and resources on improving security and stability and to cease their increasing involvement in aid work:
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The British and Irish Agencies Afghanistan Group (BAAG) and its European counterpart organisation (ENNA) released a short position paper on Civil-Military Relations in Afghanistan, available at
CARE international press release: ‘No Quick Fixes for Afghanistan’
Norwegian Refugee Council press release: ‘Let aid agencies do their job in Afghanistan’
2. Security Sector Reform (SSR)
Security situation update
(Click Here to link to a map of Afghanistan showing the different provinces)
Death rate rises: According to a new report published this month by the inter-government Joint Coordinating and Monitoring Board, insurgency and terrorist-related activity in Afghanistan now kills an average of 600 people per month, four times more than a year ago. (RFE)
Unrest in Pakistan’s tribal areas:A series of attacks and violent demonstrations took place in Pakistan's Federally Adminstered Tribal Areas (FATA), close to the border with Afghanistan, following the 30 OctoberPakistani air forceattack on an Islamic school in Bajaur in which 80 people were killed.42 Pakistani soldiers were killed in a suicide attack on a military training school in the town of Dargai and 2 policemen were killed in a separate suicide attack in the town of Peshawar. (BBC) (RFE)
Suicide attack in Paktika province:A suicide bomber attacked a crowded restaurant in Paktika province on 26 November, killing 15 people and wounding 25. (New York Times)
Civilian casualties in Helmand: On 28 November, 11 people were killed in NATO airstrikes in Helmand province, according to local residents and local officials. However, NATO authorities declined reports of civilian casualties. (Pahjwok)
Drugs
The UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and the World Bank issued a new report on Afghanistan's Drug Industry. The report states that this year’s poppy harvest reached an all-time high, with total poppy cultivation increasing by 59% and opium production by 49%, with the bulk concentrated in Helmand province and a few other highly insecure areas; furthermore, opium poppy takes up around 4% of total cultivated land in Afghanistan, and 13% of the population is involved in opium cultivation and production. The opium economy accounts for around one-third of total economic activity.
The report emphasises the link between the opium trade and overall corruption in Afghanistan. In particular, it draws attention to the link between the drug industry and the informal financial transfer system (hawala system). The hawala system facilitates the transfer of drug-related funds in Afghanistan, while at the same time serving as a vehicle for legal transactions including aid flows, hence the report recommends that the international community needs to be more careful in its use of the hawala system to prevent its funds from becoming mixed with illegal transactions.
The report is available at:
3. Humanitarian Developments
There has been heavy rain in many regions across the country since 15 November. As a result, some of the provinces have been hit with flash floods. The northern and western regions of the country remain the worst-hit areas. It was reported that 56 people are dead, 100 missing, about 3,000 houses completely destroyed in Bala-Murghab and Ghoremach districts of Badghis province. (IFRC)
4. New Publications
Oxfam released a detailed briefing paper entitled ‘Free, Quality Education for Every Afghan Child’. This paper reports that despite a 500% increase in school enrolments in the last six years, half of all children in Afghanistan still do not go to school. It also argues that there are not enough teachers and that resources and facilities are inadequate.
The paper is available at:
Afghan NGO umbrella organization ACBAR released a briefing paper entitled ‘Aid Effectiveness in Afghanistan: At a Crossroads’. Issues covered by the report include: current levels of aid; government capacity and absorption (unspent aid); state building efforts and support to service delivery; transition plans for development; regional development; military support and donor support for front line services.
The paper is available at:
JANN is a network of Japanese NGOs that work in Afghanistan. It aims to provide information about the security, political and reconstruction situations in Afghanistan. If you have any comments or queries please contact our website is has regular updates on Afghanistan.