6. End of Course Project
Name of the participant: Farrah Naz
1) Background Information
Present[1] day Afghanistan borders six countries: Iran 936 km, Pakistan 2,430 km, China 76 km, Tajikistan 1,206 km, Uzbekistan 137 km, and Turkmenistan 744 km. The total area of the country is 652,000 sq km. Population density is 33 persons per square kilometer. The country has three distinctive regions. The northern plain (about 103,600 sq. km. or 16% of the country) is the principal agricultural area. The south-western plateau (129,500 sq. km., 20%) that includes the Rigestan Desert is largely desert and semi desert. An extension of the Himalayan mountain chain (414,400 sq. km., 64%), which includes the mountains of the Hindu Kush, often rising above 6,400 metres (21,000 feet) separates the northern and south-western regions. Only 12% of Afghanistan is arable.
The population of Afghanistan according to the estimates of July 2004 stands at 28,513,677 with about 20% nomadic population. Afghanistan has a high birth rate of 47.27 births/1,000 population. It also has a high population growth rate with a doubling time of 24 years. Out of the total population a high proportion is that of under 15 years children i.e. 44.7% (male 6,525,929; female 6,222,497) and only 2.4 % are above the age of 65 (male 334,427; female 350,891). Rest of the 52.9% (male 7,733,707; female 7,346,226) are between the ages of 15 to less than 65 years of age.
Despite a high infant mortality rate (165.96 deaths/1,000 live births), a short life expectancy of 42.46 years, and losses due to war and refugee migration, the population has continued to grow at a rapid pace. Population growth rate of Afghanistan at present according to estimate is 4.92% (this rate does not take into consideration the recent war and its continuing impact).
However along with that the death rate (21.12 deaths/1,000 population) is also quite high and the life expectancy is one of the very low around the world i.e. 42.46 years and this is almost the same for both the genders.
Afghanistan is emerging from decades of war and destruction. The major conflict of 2001 has been followed by a period of relative stability, albeit a stability that is heavily dependent on foreign military to maintain.
The lack of good statistical data on Afghanistan does not hide the fact that it remains one of the poorest countries in the world both in terms of per capita incomes and social indicators, with large gender gaps. The difficult challenge of poverty reduction is made even more difficult by continuing insecurity, weak rule of law, and narcotics.
In the past twelve months Afghanistan has adopted a constitution for the country, experienced Presidential elections, the appointment of a government led by President Hamid Karzai and the prospect of Parliamentary elections ahead of the country in 2005.
In February 2005, Afghanistan launched its first-ever National Human Development Report (NHDR). According to the Minister of Rural Rehabilitation and Development, this report, entitled “Security with a Human Face” provides guidance for the government in terms of policy targeting and is a tool for building accountability. It will also assist policy makers and stakeholders in the post-conflict country where there has been very little relevant or reliable information.
The Government has also set forth a compelling development vision in its National Development Framework and is currently in the process of developing its first Interim Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper.
The Afghan economy[2] is dominated by agriculture which has traditionally accounted for up to 50% of GDP and employed around 80% of the population. In late 2001 The Afghan economy was reeling from protracted conflict and severe drought, with cereal grain production down by half, livestock herds decimated, orchards and vineyards destroyed by war and drought, more than five million people displaced as refugees in neighbouring countries. The Afghan state had become virtually non-functional in terms of policymaking and service delivery, although the structures and many staff remained.
In 2004, another drought in the South and South-East of the country worked to bring down cereal production by an estimated 25%, substantially lowering GDP growth for FY2004 (ended 20 March 2005) to an estimated 7.5%, from 15.7% and 28.6%, respectively, in the 2 previous years. GDP for FY2004 is estimated at $5.4 billion, exclusive of illicit opium (poppy) production, which is estimated at $2.8 billion. Apart from agriculture, other sectors, especially services and construction, continued to show strong performance as they are mainly linked to the reconstruction effort financed by external assistance and the private spending of international personnel. Per capita GDP is estimated to have risen from $199 in FY2003 to $228 in FY2004.
A National Risk and Vulnerability Survey conducted in 2003 estimated that per capita expenditure in rural areas amounted to $165 per year. The data also suggest that 3.5 million of the 17.5 million Afghans living in rural areas suffer from extreme poverty and another 10.5 million are vulnerable to it. In 2004 widespread crop failure, caused by localized drought and plant and animal diseases—particularly in the west, southwest, and south—led to severe food shortages.
The level of urbanization is very high but no statistics is available on the rate of urbanization. One can observe the new unplanned settlements sprouting in the outskirts of each major city of Afghanistan.
An overview of the natural disasters is given in the next section.
2) Brief Description of the Selected Disaster Event
Afghanistan is considered as a country prone to a number of natural disasters: earthquakes, flooding, drought, landslides, and avalanches. Earthquakes are relatively frequent, being more frequent in the north and northeast, and often trigger landslides. Floods are common in the spring when snow begins to melt and rainfall is heavy.
Afghanistan is located in a zone of high-seismic activity. Given the rugged and mountainous nature of the country and the location of villages, towns and cities, there is always a high propensity for widespread death and destruction whenever an earthquake, landslide, mudslide, avalanche, or flooding occurs. IFRC/RC, (2002) estimates that since the early 1980s, natural disasters in Afghanistan have killed an estimated 19,000 people and displaced 7.5 million people.
Many earthquakes occur in the Hindu Kush, which is a region of high mountains and rough terrain. The Hindu Kush is unique in that earthquakes occur not only near the surface, but also at great depths. A number of deadly earthquakes occurred in the region in the last century. Two earthquakes in 1998 (4 February and 30 May) killed more than 9,000 people in Afghanistan[3].
Since 2000, there have been about 9 major earthquakes resulting to about 1,223 deaths, (http://earthquake.usgs.gov/activity/past.html). According to the EM-DAT: The OFDA/CRED International Disaster Database, (www.em-dat.net),about 2,000 people have been killed, and a total of 79,800 made homeless due to the yearly flooding since 1954. Landslides and Avalanches have also made their mark on the lives and properties of Afghans; since 1954, a total of 799 people have been killed, 64 injured, 110 made homeless, and 400 affected..
Decades of War and civil conflict, as well as environmental degradation, have all contributed to increasing vulnerability of the Afghan people to natural disasters. Several assessments by the humanitarian agencies have revealed significant shortcomings in the areas of water, sanitation, health, security and natural resource management. Furthermore, the high level of poverty, lack of livelihood and income generating opportunities, chronic health problems, and poor state of the infrastructure all add to the burden of natural disasters on the people of Afghanistan.
Top 10 Natural Disasters in Afghanistan[4], sorted by numbers of people killed and affected
Earthquake / 30-May-1998 / 4,700 / Drought / May-2001 / 3,800,000
Epidemic / 10-Apr-2002 / 2,500 / Drought / Apr-2000 / 2,580,000
Earthquake / 4-Feb-1998 / 2,323 / Drought / 1973 / 600,000
Earthquake / 10-Jun-1954 / 2,000 / Flood / Jul-1978 / 271,684
Earthquake / 25-Mar-2002 / 1,000 / Flood / Jan-1972 / 250,000
Flood / 31-May-1991 / 728 / Drought / 1972 / 235,000
Epidemic / Jan-2000 / 507 / Epidemic / Jan-2002 / 200,000
Earthquake / 16-Dec-1982 / 500 / Flood / Jun-1988 / 161,455
Flood / 4-Sep-1992 / 450 / Drought / 1971 / 120,000
3) National Disaster Management System[5]
Since Afghanistan is emerging out of the civil war and the government is still in the process of setting up systems and structure to run the affairs of the country in a better manner. Therefore the disaster management system in the country is also a very nascent stage. In the past couple of years UN agencies and other donors have been providing support to the country to develop a disaster management framework.
At present the following institutional framework is established with support from UNAMA, WHO and several other agencies to help the government effectively coordinate between the various actors working on disaster management.
Institutional Framework
Several government departments have specific units that deal with disaster-related issues, but the Office of Disaster Preparedness (ODP) has the mandate to coordinate disaster management on behalf of the Government.
To date, the ministries that have specific disaster management roles are:
The Office for Disaster Preparedness (ODP): which is the main department for the coordination and management of disasters. Its responsibilities include the coordination and delivery of emergency relief, and provision of support to the provincial offices. It is part of the Office of Administrative Affairs that comes directly under the Office of the President. An important element
in the current structure is the direct link and presence in the six regions. Although this is indicated in the structure in reality this has to be implemented with office, resources and trained or skilled personnel.
The Ministry of Planning: which is a member of the Inter-Ministerial Commission for the ODP. Its coordination and planning role at the provincial level is an important element in support to emergency response and long-term disaster reduction projects and activities. It has a direct link to the vulnerable groups through its Department of Social Affairs, UN agencies, and NGOs through its role in the Emergency Task Force (ETF) and the Provincial Coordinating Body (PCB). It can provide planning and management training and direct support to ODP when needed.
Ministry of Rural Rehabilitation and Development: is actively involved in vulnerability and livelihood surveillance activities. MRRD is one of the key ministries that has the mandate to implement vulnerability reduction projects to alleviate poverty and improve peoples’ livelihoods. It is also part of an Inter-Ministerial Commission comprising Health, Urban Planning, and Agriculture.
Ministry of Irrigation and Environment: is involved in disaster mitigation in relation to drought and floods as they affect agricultural production, irrigation systems and water supply and management. Some of these mitigation activities include rehabilitation and management of watershed and water-catchment areas and enforcement of land use planning. Irrigation to reduce dependence on rain-fed agriculture is important for the drought prone regions. Given the current devastating drought and history of past occurrences, the role of the ministry in improving and expanding irrigation systems to cope with drought situation should help towards a reduction in vulnerable and displaced people and in destruction of crops, livestock, property and other livelihoods.
Ministry of Telecommunications: is represented in all provinces, but does not have the capability or the resources to provide emergency communications systems support during disaster operations. Establishing critical communications links to the disaster sites for the country as part of Telecom’s preparedness measure is essential for effective response. Having reliable cmmunications countrywide assists in rapid and effective response.
Ministry of the Interior: has the important role of law and order enforcement if required during an emergency through the Police Force. It has the responsibility for the Fire and Emergency Services in the urban areas. The ministry is also important in that it houses the Central Statistic Office and the Geodesy and Cartography Section that are useful information sources for preparedness and response.
Ministry of Public Health: is a key lifeline ministry that has important role in emergency health and medical services to the country. It has direct involvement in disasters through the mobilization of its “Emergency Health Task Force” (EHTF). The latter is present in all the regions. MoPH (and MRRD) works closely with UNICEF and WHO in disaster management related field. More specifically WHO has conducted training with MoPH in emergency health and continues to build its medical requirements as well as its human and physical resources. As one of the main partners in the Regional EHTF, it is actively working towards achieving the objectives of its action plan, “to prevent as far as possible the outbreak of feared diseases, and secondly to reduce morbidity, mortality and negative social effects related to them”. The present EHTF membership consists of the following with an open invitation for others to join: MoPH, WHO, UNICEF, MSF, DAC, MDM. ICM. CHA, Ibni-Sina, and WVA. The EHTF has a Chairperson and Deputy Chairperson. It has an emergency response team in MoPH that can be deployed at short notice. The members meet bimonthly and weekly or as frequently as needed during emergencies. The work of the EHTF are:
- To coordinate the emergency health activity in case of outbreak of epidemic diseases or disasters with health implications
- To prepare the emergency plan of action
- To help pre-position the emergency intervention requirements
- To prepare the necessary guidelines for the EHTF activities
- To organize emergency health fact finding teams whenever needed
- To monitor emergency health activities
- To submit emergency health reports to concerned parties on quarterly basis and whenever health is required.
Ministry of Information: have important roles in disaster response and preparedness and during emergencies. This includes broadcasting/disseminating warnings to communities before a disaster occurs and education and awareness messages for preparedness and response actions to follow and promoting government disaster-related policies and programmes among others.
Ministry of Agriculture: have roles in assessment of agricultural crops and livestock damage and food needs for the affected population. Also in acquiring, distributing, managing and being accountable for food relief to victims. A main role is to provide seeds and necessary planting materials and other inputs to assist in early recovery. Because agricultural sector provides the main livelihood and employment for most of the population, it has a critical role in reducing agricultural vulnerability through effective disaster mitigation, preparedness and response programmes.