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Sunday 7 August 2005 |
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IRIN-CA Weekly Round-up 174 covering the period 24 - 30 July 2004[ This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations]CONTENTS: AFGHANISTAN: Emergency aid reaches quake victims in Herat, Paktia Emergency assistance, including food aid, has been sent to areas of southeastern Paktia province and western Herat province hit by recent earthquakes, according to the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA). "In Paktia, several hundred houses have been destroyed, mainly in three villages; while 150 houses have been destroyed in a village in Herat.? Full copy of this report AFGHANISTAN: MSF pulls out of country Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) announced on Wednesday that it was withdrawing from Afghanistan after 24 years of independent humanitarian work following the government's failure to mount an adequate investigation into the killing of five MSF workers in June. "The framework for humanitarian assistance in Afghanistan is no longer possible." This situation had arisen in a context in which the US-led forces had constantly used humanitarian actions for their own military and political purposes. Full copy of this report AFGHANISTAN: More assistance needed for deprived children A new report on the situation of children in Afghanistan emphasises the need for more dramatic measures to be taken for those who are deprived of parental care. The report, issued on Saturday, was a joint undertaking by the Afghan Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs and the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), and attempts to give a better understanding of the circumstances of children lacking parental care in the country. Full copy of this report AFGHANISTAN: NGOs react to MSF pullout NGOs working in Afghanistan have expressed concern over the pullout of the international NGO Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), describing it as a worrying message to the international aid community. “It sends a very strong message to the humanitarian and international community.? NGOs understood MSF’s decision to leave and stated that they will continue with their programmes. Full copy of this report AFGHANISTAN: UN condemns bomb attack on election workers The United Nations has expressed outrage over Wednesday’s bomb attack against staff members of the Secretariat of the Joint Electoral Management Body (JEMB) in Ghazni province, southwest of the Afghan capital Kabul, which killed one JEMB staff member and a voter who had come to register. Seven others were injured in the attack, including two seriously. Full copy of this report CENTRAL ASIA: HIV/AIDS remains a problem in Ferghana Valley HIV/AIDS remains a problem in the densely populated Ferghana Valley, shared by Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan and home to some 10 million people. There are more than 700 HIV-infected people in the region. "The HIV/AIDS prevalence rate in [the Uzbek part of] the Ferghana Valley is 273 cases and there is a tendency for growth." Full copy of this report CENTRAL ASIA: ADB approves food fortification project for the region The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has approved a US $2 million grant for a food fortification project in Central Asia aimed at reducing iron deficiency anaemia and iodine deficiency disorders among children and women. While developing the capacity of the public and private sectors, the project serves to boost the supply of quality fortified food or food with vitamins and mineral supplements. Full copy of this report CENTRAL ASIA: Weekly news wrap This week in Central Asia started with the departure of Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE)'s Ambassador to Turkmenistan, Paraschiva Badescu. The OSCE's Romanian envoy left the country on Saturday after the Turkmen government refused to extend her accreditation for another six months, the NewsCentralAsia web site reported. Full copy of this report KYRGYZSTAN: Focus on gold mining in west Fuelled by acute poverty and unemployment, hundreds of people in western Kyrgyzstan are making a living by digging gold, often endangering their lives as they seek their fortune in the fast mountain rivers. To the casual observer, the young and old people travelling along the small mountain rivers in the area might be fishermen. Local people say gold can be extracted along the Kasansai River as well as other tributaries of the Syr Darya river, a major water source in Central Asia, in the Chatkal mountains in western Kyrgyzstan. Full copy of this report PAKISTAN: IOM launches counter trafficking course The International Organisation for Migration (IOM) on Tuesday launched Pakistan's first ever counter trafficking training course for senior law enforcement officials in the country, including those from the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA), the agency mandated to check human trafficking. "What we want to do with this training is really acquaint law enforcement with the issues involved in trafficking and how to address the problem and protect the victims." Full copy of this report TAJIKISTAN: TB on the rise, say health officials The number of tuberculosis cases is on the rise in Tajikistan, with official statistics showing that the country now has more than 12,000 patients suffering from the disease. “This disease poses a serious problem, both to the state and society. According to the National TB Control Centre, between 2,800 and 3,500 new cases of TB are registered each year in Tajikistan, and this trend continues to go upward." Full copy of this report TURKMENISTAN: Tajik refugees await naturalisation An hours drive eastwards from the Turkmen capital, Ashgabat, you reach a settlement called Babadurmaz in the southern province of Akhal, where a community of 300 Tajik refugee families lives. They have long been settled and well integrated into Turkmen society but, as ethnic Turkmen, are still awaiting naturalisation. There are more than 14,000 Tajik refugees - mostly ethnic Turkmen - mainly living in Akhal, Lebap and Mary provinces. Full copy of this report UZBEKISTAN: Trust points work to bolster HIV prevention Since the beginning of 2004 there have been some 1,500 permanent clients among the 10 trust points now functioning in Tashkent. Operating under the HIV/AIDS prevention control project for high risk groups and youth in Tashkent entitled SOS project the trust points have succeeded in distributing nearly half a million needles and more than 28,000 condoms to their target groups. Full copy of this report [ENDS]
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