Bengt Sjöberg

In the context of Afghanistan, UNHCR advocates for complementary forms of protection

being considered for persons originating from areas where any or several of the

following features have been reported or observed within the past months:

• Intensified counter insurgency activities, including aerial bombings, by

ISAF/NATO which have escalated into open warfare in the south, south east.

eastern, and partly in western and central provinces and which affect safe

movement to and from these provinces;

• Possible military operation in places where the AGE have established their

presence;

• Indiscriminate attacks by anti-government elements, inter alia through the

consistent use of indiscriminate types of warfare (IED on the roads, missile

attacks, bombs and suicide bomb attacks) including attacks on "soft targets" such

as schools, teachers, and religious figures;

• Systematic acts of intimidation, involving arbitrary killings, abductions and other

threats to life, security and liberty, by anti-government elements and by regional

warlords, militia commanders and criminal groups, including on the highways;

• Illegal land occupation and confiscation with limited possibilities for redress;

• Religious and tribal conflicts, conflicts over the use of pasture land and

inadequate responses by the central government to address violence and protect

civilians.

Furthermore, UNHCR considers that Afghans should not be reasonably expected to

travel through unsafe areas to reach their final destination.

Any or several of the above mentioned threats have been observed or reported in the

past months in the below mentioned parts of Afghanistan and thus assessed as being

insecure:

• All districts of Hilmand, Kandahar, Uruzgan and Zabul (the highways to these

provinces and also from Kandahar to Nimroz through Delaram).

• Paktika: The whole province and the highways from Ghazni to Paktika and from

Paktia to Paktika are assessed as being insecure,

• Khost: The whole province except Khost city. The highway from Gardez to Khost

is also deemed to be insecure.

• Paktia: The whole province except Gardez City.

• Faryab: Kohistan and Qaisar districts are assessed as being insecure.

• Baghlan: Baghlan Jadid, Baghlan Kohna, Nahreen, Andarab (now divided to

Banu, Deh Salah and Pul-i-Hesar districts), Khost, Fereng, Guzargah Noor, Jelga

districts are assessed as being insecure,

• Kunduz: Chardara and Akhtash area of Khan Abad districts are assessed as

being insecure.

• Kunar: The whole province except Asad Abad, Khas Kunar, Chawkai, Narang,

Noorgal and Bar Kunar, (known as Asmar in the past) districts are assessed as

being insecure.

• Laghman: Alishing, Alinegar, western parts of Mehtarlam and Dawlat Shah

districts are assessed as being insecure.

• Nangarhar: Khogyani, Pacheer wa Agam, Deh Bala, Naziyan, Shirzad, and Kot

districts are assessed as being insecure.

• Nooristan: Kamdish, Mandol, DoAba and Waigal districts are assessed as being

insecure.

• Hirat: The whole province except Hirat city is assessed as being insecure.

• Farah: The whole province, except Farah city is assessed as being insecure.

The highways from Hirat to Farah, from Nimroz to Farah and from Farah to

Kandahar are also assessed as being insecure.

• Nimroz: The whole province except Zaranj city and the highways from Hirat to

Nimroz and Farah to Nimroz are assessed as being insecure.

• Badghis: The whole province, except Qala-e-Naw, the provincial capital is

assessed as being insecure. The highway from Qala-e-Now (provincial capital of

Badghis) to Faryab is also assessed as being insecure.

• Ghor: The whole province, except Chakhcheran city, the provincial capital is

assessed as being insecure.

• Ghazni: The entire province including the highways from Kandahar to Ghazni

and from Kabul to Ghzani is assessed as being insecure.

• Maidan-Wardak: The entire province and highways have been assessed as

insecure.

• Logar: The entire province apart from the highway from Kabul to Gardez is

assessed as being insecure.

• Kapisa: Alasay, Nijrab, Kohband and Tagab districts and the highway from

Mahmood Raqi (the provincial capital of Kapisa) to the mentioned districts are

assessed as being insecure.

• Kabul: Sarobi, Paghman (Arghad-e Bala and Arghand-e Payan), Khak-e-Jabar,

Musahi and Charasyab districts are assessed as being insecure.

• Parwan: Koh-e-Safi, Siya Gird and Shinwari districts are assessed as being

insecure.

• Daikundi: Kiti and Kijran districts and the highway from Uruzgan to Daikundi are

assessed as being insecure.