§ Mrs. SpelmanTo ask the Secretary of State for International Development what proportion of United Kingdom funds for reconstruction in Afghanistan have been allocated to micro-credit agencies. [42760]
§ Clare ShortAt present, no United Kingdom funds for reconstruction in Afghanistan have been allocated to micro-credit agencies.
§ Mrs. SpelmanTo ask the Secretary of State for International Development if she will make a statement on mortality rates in refugee camps in Afghanistan in the last six months. [42765]
§ Clare ShortComprehensive data on mortality rates in internally displaced persons (IDPs) camps in Afghanistan are not available. However, as access has improved in Afghanistan, agencies have been able to provide better-targeted assistance and to monitor the situation more effectively. For example, the World Health Organisation (WHO) has reported a significant decrease in mortality rates at Maslakh camp outside Herat. An estimated 180,000 displaced persons, mostly from Ghor and Badghis provinces, have been living in Maslakh camp since September 2000. By December 2001, the crude mortality rate was 0.47 per 10,000 people: a death rate of approximately 50 persons per week. This figure has now halved to approximately 0.2 per 10,000.
1190WThe Immediate and Transitional Assistance Programme for the Afghan People, prepared by the UN in consultation with the Afghan Interim Authority, sets out priorities and objectives for the population of Afghanistan in the period up to December 2002. One of the key activities in the health sector is to strengthen the population and health statistical data system in Afghanistan. This will help build national capacity to collect and compile urgently needed data on the health needs of the Afghan population, and monitor mortality rates across the country.
§ Mrs. SpelmanTo ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment she has made of the potential security concerns for refugees returning to Afghanistan. [42757]
§ Clare ShortThe volatile situation remains a serious concern for refugees returning to Afghanistan. Sporadic fighting in some areas, continuing lawlessness, as well as the presence of mines and unexploded ordnance, continue to prevent unhindered access to parts of Afghanistan. Because of the precarious security situation in some parts of Afghanistan, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) is cautioning Afghans against spontaneously returning to certain areas. Provinces and areas on UNHCR's 'caution' list include: Paktia, Khost, Zabul, Uruzgan, Nimroz, Helmand, Farah, bra Bora and Sholgara.
§ Mrs. SpelmanTo ask the Secretary of State for International Development what provision is being made for the safety of refugees returning to Afghanistan. [42758]
§ Clare ShortThe Afghan Interim Administration (AIA) and the international community are committed to improving the protection of at-risk civilians. This includes creating conditions conducive to the voluntary return of refugees and internally displaced persons (IDPs) in safety and dignity to their places of origin. Our support to agencies such as UNHCR, the International Organisation for Migration (IOM), and the United Nations Mine Action Service (UNMAS) will help contribute to this important objective.
§ Mrs. SpelmanTo ask the Secretary of State for International Development what action is being taken to improve provision of public health clinics in Afghanistan. [42756]
§ Clare ShortAt the Tokyo conference, the Afghanistan Interim Administration (AIA) identified the restoration of basic services, through an urban reconstruction programme to restore utilities and support municipal authorities, as one of their main priorities. In line with this, the United Nations (UN) Country Team for Afghanistan has prepared the Immediate and Transitional Assistance Programme for the Afghan People 2002 (ITAP) which prioritises the health sector as a key focus within Afghanistan. This includes activities to improve the provision of public health clinics.
My Department is continuing to channel support through the Red Cross movement and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) who are focusing on the rehabilitation of hospitals and health care clinics in order to provide essential, primary health care. We have recently provided an additional £2 million to the UN World Health Organisation (WHO) for the provision of technical and material support to the Ministry of Public Health.
1191W
§ Mrs. SpelmanTo ask the Secretary of State for International Development what estimate she has made of the number of refugees who have returned to Afghanistan in each of the last six months. [42759]
§ Clare ShortSince October 2001, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) estimate that approximately 330,000 Afghans have returned to Afghanistan from neighbouring countries. There were no major returns in October 2001; approximately 65,000 Afghans returned during November and December 2001; over 100,000 in January 2002; approximately the same number in February 2002; and almost 65,000 people returned to Afghanistan from 1 to 10 March 2002.