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