Standard Project Report 2016
reflected in a low school-life expectancy( 5.6 against 9.5 years of expected education), low literacy rates( 19 percent for adult women and 37 percent for female youth, against 49 and 66 percent for male adults and youth, respectively), and low attendance ratios for all levels of education( 45 against 62 percent in primary education, 27 against 47 percent in secondary education and 5 against 13 percent in tertiary education).
Also, gender-based violence is a pervasive problem in Afghanistan. It stems from complex inequalities and cultural practices which, when aligned with poverty and lack of awareness, subordinate women to men and prevent them from acting on or receiving support. Studies by the United Nations Population Fund( UNFPA) suggest that 87 percent of Afghan women experience at least one form of physical, sexual or psychological violence, and 62 percent experience multiple forms, in their lifetime.
Food utilisation is generally poor as a result of inadequate access to improved water and sanitation services and inappropriate young child feeding practices. According to the Afghanistan National Nutrition Survey( 2013) the prevalence of all types of malnutrition is high( wasting is 9.5 percent, stunting 40.9 percent and underweight 25 percent) in children 0 – 59 months, which further compounds the food security situation. More than a quarter of all provinces( 9 out of 34) have acute malnutrition rates above 15 percent, thus classifying them as being at emergency levels. The pregnancy-related mortality ratio in Afghanistan based on sibling histories was estimated to be 327 per 100,000 births for the seven years preceding the Afghanistan Mortality Survey( AMS) 2010. This means that for every 1,000 live births, it is estimated that about three women die during pregnancy, in childbirth, or in the two months after delivery.
Despite the successes of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization( NATO) Warsaw Summit on Afghanistan in July 2016, and the Brussels Conference on Afghanistan in October 2016, where the international community pledged USD 15.2 billion in assistance for 2017-2020 for Afghanistan, the widespread consensus was that the political and security situation is not improving and may indeed be deteriorating. The international community continues to work with the Government to make major advances in reducing corruption so that donors can commit further.
In July 2016, the number of newly arriving undocumented Afghan returnees from Pakistan to eastern Afghanistan increased dramatically from an average of 10-15 families a day to around 300-400 families a day by the end of August. As a result of the application of stricter policies from the Pakistan Government towards both undocumented and documented refugees( those with the proof of registration cards( PoR)), accompanied by reports of intimidation and harassment, it is estimated that up to 263,000 undocumented returnees and 363,000 documented refugee returnees arrived in Afghanistan by the end of 2016. The sudden increase in returns took place against a backdrop of sustained high levels of conflict-induced internal displacement, with more than 400,000 newly internally displaced persons recorded across the country.
Response of the Government and Strategic Coordination
WFP Afghanistan began to support the process of the Afghanistan Zero Hunger Strategic Review in 2016. With support from the WFP Executive Director and the Regional Director for Asia and the Pacific, the former Vice President of Afghanistan agreed to be the Lead Convener. The Advisory Committee was convened in late November to launch the Review with the final report expected by May 2017.
The Afghanistan Food Security and Nutrition Agenda( AFSANA) was prepared with support from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations( FAO), the United Nation ' s Children ' s Fund( UNICEF) and WFP in 2012, but has not yet been signed by the President because of the lack of an operational strategy, implementation plan and budget. The AFSANA contains a policy statement by the Government, reaffirming its commitment to address the multiple determinants of hunger and malnutrition in a coordinated fashion; a comprehensive framework with a specific goal and targets, strategic priorities and fields of action; and coordination structures needed to overcome the interrelated challenges of food and nutrition insecurity.
The goal of AFSANA is to ensure that no Afghan suffers from hunger and every Afghan is well-nourished at all times. The strategic objectives are to:( i) assure the availability of sufficient food for all Afghans;( ii) improve economic and physical access to food, especially for vulnerable and food-insecure population groups;( iii) ensure a stable food supply over time and in disaster situations; and( iv) promote better diets and adequate food utilisation particularly by women and children.
There is agreement amongst key stakeholders in the Government and the United Nations that the Strategic Review will help to activate the AFSANA which will, become the foundation for operationalising the Strategic Review recommendations.
The current United Nations Development Assistance Framework( UNDAF)( 2015-2019) is comprised of six pillars, of which WFP has added value to assist the Government in three: equitable economic development – support to
Afghanistan, Islamic Republic of( AF) 4 Single Country PRRO- 200447