Displaced now number 45,000 in Herat

The Office of the UN Coordinator for Afghanistan reported on Wednesday that some 7,300 displaced families, or around 45,000 people, from Ghor and Badghis provinces were now living in five camps in Herat. The camps had adequate water, health and prenatal assistance facilities, it said. In addition, preparation was underway for the establishment of nutritional centres, as well as a temporary community-based sanitary programme until more permanent latrines were in place. Ninety semi-permanent shelters had been constructed, but there was an immediate need for 2,000 shelters and 3,200 standard plastic sheets to cover new arrivals of internally-displaced people (IDPs), the report said. The World Health Organisation (WHO) had noted an increasing incidence of diarrhoea and respiratory diseases among the IDPs in Herat, the Office of the Cordinator added.

Meanwhile, in Chaghcharan District of Ghor Province, Oxfam and ICRC had registered 25,000 families, and WFP had completed the placement of 7,200 mt of wheat. ICRC was in the process of moving additional food supplies into the region, the report said.