Humanitarian

  • Life and Death: NGO access to financial services in Afghanistan - NRC Report

    "Afghanistan faces a looming humanitarian catastrophe. Transferring funds into Afghanistan has become a major challenge for non-governmental organisations (NGOs) since the Taliban’s return to power on 15 August 2021." - NRC, 27th January 2022"The report finds:The ability of humanitarians to respond to the crisis is hampered by the fact that Western governments and financial institutions are making it impossible to transfer and withdraw sufficient funds into and across the country.Lack of clear guidance to international banks regarding what is permissible under sanctions means bank de-risking of NGO financial transactions is widespread.When NGOs are able to make transfers, the suspension of the Central Bank means domestic banks in Afghanistan don’t have enough bank notes in the country to allow NGOS to withdraw sufficient cash from our accounts.Public and private banks in country risk collapse, facing major challenges regarding access to physical bank notes, with withdrawal limits complication matters further for NGOs."Executive Summary: https://www.nrc.no/globalassets/pdf/reports/life-and-death/life-and-death-executive-summary.pdfFull Report: https://www.nrc.no/globalassets/pdf/reports/life-and-death/life-and-death.pdf

    Life and Death: NGO access to financial services in Afghanistan
  • Urgent Demand for Inclusion in the “Accelerated Afghan Peace Talks”

    Afghan society including civil society organisations, community leaders, religious scholars, youth, women activists and networks, victims, professional organisations, religious scholars, Tribal/Community leaders, scholars, experts, men and more, have in this historic National Peace Gathering, brought together over 1350 Afghan society representatives from every District and Province in Afghanistan and many more Afghan Diaspora have participated via a Facebook livestream.

    PDF icon Statement of National Peace Gathering-English Version.pdf
  • Beyond Kabul: Women Peace Builder's Reflection on the Peace Process and the Impact of Covid-19

    This research report was drafted by the Afghan Women’s Educational Center (AWEC), synthesizing insights from one hundred and fifty telephone interviews with women peacebuilders and negotiators from eight provinces of Afghanistan (Badakhshan, Kandahar, Herat, Helmand, Paktia, Nangarhar, Kabul, Balkh). It was conducted at a critical juncture, as the Government of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan (GoIRA) entered into talks with the Taliban. Since the beginning of the United States talks with the Taliban, women across Afghanistan have increased their voice for women participation in peace processes as equal citizen of the country in welcoming the possibility of peace, while raising concerns that their rights may be compromised if the process is conducted hastily and they are not substantially represented. This policy brief aims to ensure that women’s voices are heard in upcoming political dialogues and during the intra-Afghan peace process.

    PDF icon Beyond-Kabul-Eng.pdf
  • A House Divided: Can Afghan Elites resolve their differences in the pursuit of peace?

    This report examines the range of views held by key members of the Afghan political elite about future prospects for peace, how these views compare to those held by civil society and women rights activists, and how they might be consolidated into a coherent platform in order to enable a common voice in negotiations with the Taliban. The report draws on 20 qualitative, semi-structured, in-depth interviews with representative from across the political spectrum and civil society in Afghanistan (six of whom were women) carried out in Kabul between mid-December 2019 and mid-February 2020.

    PDF icon A HOUSE DIVIDED - AWEC 2020.pdf
  • Survey of The Afghan People on The Intra-Afghan Peace Negotiations

    By Maryam Baryalay and Nasim Sadat of Social Research and Analysis Organisation; The survey of the Afghan people on the intra-Afghan peace process was conducted to explore the position of the Afghan population on key points and principal issues relating to the peace talks. The Afghan peace process has been lengthy and arduous, marked by breakthroughs, talks, derailments, and the collapse of talks ever since it unofficially began in 2008/9. Despite repeated impasses in the process, efforts continued in one way or another to build trust between the US and the Taliban, as well as between the Afghan government and the Taliban. In October 2018 the US government decided to engage in direct talks with the Taliban for the first time—a long-standing demand of the movement. After several rounds of talks over a period of 16 months, both sides finally reached an agreement in February 2020. The agreement contained four provisions: (1) halting attacks against US troops and interests by the Taliban, (2) reduction and withdrawal of US troops phasewise from Afghanistan, (3) releasing or swapping Afghan prisoners on both sides, and (4) starting intra-Afghan peace talks between the Afghan government and the Taliban.2

    PDF icon SURVEY OF THE AFGHAN PEOPLE ON THE INTRA-AFGHAN PEACE NEGOTIATIONS.pdf
  • Provincial Women’s Networks Perspectives and Recommendations for Intra-Afghan Negotiations

    Following the historic National Consultative Peace Jirga, which endorsed the release of the remaining 400 Taliban prisoners, all milestones for beginning the Intra-Afghan negotiations are achieved. Now no side has any excuse for delaying the negotiations. We, the members of Provincial Women’s Network from 15 provinces of Afghanistan, would like to encourage both the government and the Taliban to respect the call of Jirga delegates for beginning the negotiations as soon as possible...

    PDF icon Provincial Women's Networks Perspectives and Recommendations.pdf
  • Distant Dreams - Understanding the aspirations of Afghan returnees

    This report is based on 56 iinterviews with returnees from Iran, Pakistan and Europe. The research reveals returnees’ aspirations and hopes for their future, including psychosocial challenges when reintegrating and how those suffering from more severe psychosocial conditions after return have also considered re-migration as a solution.The report was commissioned and led by MMC Asia and carried out by Seefar.

    PDF icon Distant Dreams - Understanding the aspirations of Afghan returnees.pdf
  • Returns and Displacment in Afghanistan - BAAG Policy Position Paper autumn 2018

    BAAG is pleased to present its autumn 2018 Policy Position Paper on Returns and Displacment in Afghanistan. Afghanistan has experienced unprecedented levels of returns in recent years and, compounded by exponential rises in internal displacement, the situation now constitutes a major humanitarian crisis. Through the input of several national and international organisations operating in/ on Afghanistan this paper offers an insight into the challenges facing Afghans residing in host countries and their subsequent return to Afghanistan.

    PDF icon Returns & Displacement Position Paper - Autumn 2018.pdf
  • Fragile Future: The human cost of conflict in Afghanistan

     Emmanuel Tronc and Anaide Nahikian presents 'Fragile Future: The human cost of conflict in Afghanistan', part of the Humanitarian Action at the Frontlines field analysis series. Fragile Futures examines the humanitarian, political, societal, and economic dimensions that make the protracted conflict in Afghanistan intractable and precarious for civilian populations. The report is based on field visits to numerous regions in Afghanistan in July 2018—which included interviews and consultations with a variety of actors, including political stakeholders, humanitarian agencies, and populations affected by conflict—as well as a review of recent and relevant literature.  The purpose of this analysis is to (1) provide a current assessment of the conflict, drawing from field interviews and an indepth assemblage of various reports and resources, (2) examine the interconnected and interdependent interests fueling the conflict, and (3) suggest that if these dynamics persist in the way they have for decades, recent elections and peace talks will represent yet another setback for Afghan communities and a peaceful future for the country. 

    PDF icon SSRN-id3291982.pdf
  • Building Resilience in Afghanistan

    PDF icon Building Resilience in Afghanistan_Geneva Conference position paper.pdf
  • Displaced, Denied, Destroyed

    Rather than safe spaces for learning, schools in Afghanistan are increasingly becoming military, ideological and political battlegrounds. This briefing notes outlines how the international community and parties to the conflict in Afghanistan are neglecting and violating established commitments to protect students, teachers and educational facilities in armed conflict.

    PDF icon briefingnote-educationunderattack.pdf
  • Global Humanitarian Assistance Report 2018

    This reports looks at the global humanitarian situation in 2017, two years on since the World Humanitarian Summit.

    PDF icon GHA-Report-2018.pdf
  • UN Humanitarian Response Plan 2018-2021 (English)

    The 2018 – 2021 response plan prioritises humanitarian action to prevent loss of life in the areas of highest need, where conflict is typically the most intense. It reflects efforts to better distinguish between acute humanitarian needs arising from a sudden shock, and chronic needs generated from years of underdevelopment and poverty. Planned to dovetail with the One UN – One Programme for development, it allows for better signposting to the Afghan government and development partners’ those people for whom sustainable solutions are more appropriate.

    PDF icon afg_2018_humanitarian_response_plan_7.pdf
  • Afghanistan Humanitarian Response Plan 2018-2021 (Dari)

    The 2018 – 2021 response plan prioritises humanitarian action to prevent loss of life in the areas of highest need, where conflict is typically the most intense. It reflects efforts to better distinguish between acute humanitarian needs arising from a sudden shock, and chronic needs generated from years of underdevelopment and poverty. Planned to dovetail with the One UN – One Programme for development, it allows for better signposting to the Afghan government and development partners’ those people for whom sustainable solutions are more appropriate.

    PDF icon afg_2018_humanitarian_response_plan_dari_0.pdf
  • Afghanistan Humanitarian Response Plan 2018-2021 (Pashto)

    Over the next four years’ humanitarian partners will save lives and protect people affected by intensified conflict, natural disasters and cross-border population movement. Partners will promote the safety, dignity and equitable access of affected people to humanitarian aid. They will also seek more efficient and effective collaboration with development partners, in particular those part of the ‘One UN – One Programme’, and link short and long-term development programming.

    PDF icon afg_2018_humanitarian_response_plan_pashto.pdf

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