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Delivery-date: Tue, 21 Jun 2022 11:30:14 -0400
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Date: Tue, 21 Jun 2022 15:29:33 +0000 (UTC)
From: INSO_AFG_SOUTH_SA <sa.south@afg.ngosafety.org>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Message-ID: <gE_0IE0JQxOgfC2Vo2vTFA@geopod-ismtpd-5-1>
Subject: INSO REPORT =?UTF-8?B?4oCTIEFGRyDigJM=?= CR/SER/SR: Route Assessment:
 Kabul to Kandahar (Highway One)
To: Mohammad Arif Tabesh <dr.tabesh@jack.ngo>

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC '-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Strict//EN' 'http://www.w3.org=
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enter><table width=3D"580" style=3D" width: 580px;  border:1px solid #C1C2C=
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				This report is for the exclusive use of INSO partners and must not be s=
hared outside your organisation			</td>
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									<div><span style=3D"font-size:24.0pt; font-weight: bold; margin: 0=
; padding: 0; font-family:'Arial', sans-serif; color:#5376b6">&nbsp;&nbsp;R=
EPORT</span></div>
									<div><span style=3D"font-size:10.0pt; font-weight: bold; margin: 0=
; padding: 0; font-family:'Arial', sans-serif; color:#182748">&nbsp;&nbsp;&=
nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;ATTENTION RECOMMENDED</span></div>
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lor:#15274B;  ">
								<div style=3D"margin: 12.5px 25px; padding: 0 12.5px 0 0;">LOCATION=
</div>
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2.0pt; font-family: 'Arial', sans-serif; line-height:115%;  ">
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								<div style=3D"text-align: justify;">Afghanistan, Highway One, Kabul=
-Kandahar</div>								</div>
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lor:#15274B;  ">
								<div style=3D"margin: 12.5px 25px; padding: 0 12.5px 0 0;">INCIDENT=
 TYPE</div>
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2.0pt; font-family: 'Arial', sans-serif; line-height:115%;  ">
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ttom:1px solid #C1C2C4;">
								Route Assessment								</div>
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lor:#15274B;  ">
								<div style=3D"margin: 12.5px 25px; padding: 0 12.5px 0 0;">DATE & T=
IME</div>
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2.0pt; font-family: 'Arial', sans-serif; line-height:115%;  ">
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ttom:1px solid #C1C2C4;">
								29/05/2022 05:30								</div>
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								<div style=3D"margin: 12.5px 25px; padding: 0 12.5px 0 0;">INFORMAT=
ION</div>
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2.0pt; font-family: 'Arial', sans-serif; line-height:115%;  ">
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ttom:1px solid #C1C2C4;">
								<div style=3D"text-align: justify;">This report will assess risks t=
o NGO staff travelling on the Highway One between Kabul and Kandahar and ou=
tline recommended mitigation measures to reduce these risks. The assessment=
 is based on information gathered during recent movement along this route, =
conducted by national and international NGO staff members. The travel put i=
n evidence segments of the road with no network coverage, damaged tarmac an=
d infrastructures, and accidents caused by heavy load trucks. In most urban=
 settlements on the route, although small, it is common to find a petrol st=
ation and at least a small repair shop for motorbikes and quick car fixes. =
There are also several corner shops selling snacks and beverages. However, =
it is difficult to find hotels to spend the night in case of a sudden accid=
ent, even in medium-size provincial capitals like Qalat City.<br /><br /></=
div>
<div style=3D"text-align: justify;"><strong>Road conditions:</strong></div>
<div style=3D"text-align: justify;">From the main entrance checkpoint into =
Kabul City in Chawk Arghandi to Maydanshahr District of Wardak Province, th=
e road conditions are poor due to multiple potholes and uneven tarmac. The =
10km of road that follows after Shash Gaw area of Wardak Province is assess=
ed to be in fair condition. Past Shah Joy District (Zabul Province), the ro=
ad surface remains in fairly good condition. However, one of the bridges ha=
s been destroyed and an unpaved road was created on the dry riverbed in ord=
er to detour around the bridge.<br /><br /></div>
<div style=3D"text-align: justify;">The road segment Qalat-Kandahar has rec=
ently been paved with tarmac and the condition is good. Two bridges, namely=
 <a href=3D"https://goo.gl/maps/1MsjtKYRU8CNFHb58" target=3D"_blank" rel=3D=
"noopener">Khanizo</a> (31.783029, 66.294878) and <a href=3D"https://goo.gl=
/maps/eSZ2N4dYwZPhBMRj9" target=3D"_blank" rel=3D"noopener">Sangar Manda</a=
> (31.766257, 66.268535), were destroyed before August 2021 and are yet to =
be rebuilt. Again, a gravelled road was created on the dry riverbed to allo=
w traffic to skirt the bridges.<br /><br /></div>
<div style=3D"text-align: justify;"><strong>IEA checkpoints:</strong></div>
<div style=3D"text-align: justify;">There are four IEA checkpoints between =
the gates of Kabul and the gates of Qalat, excluding those checkpoints insi=
de Ghazni City. The personnel of one VCP was not clearly identifiable as IE=
A members, as the government still has to assign a specific military fatigu=
e to the armed forces.<br /><br /></div>
<div style=3D"text-align: justify;">Past Saydabad DAC and toward Sheikhabad=
 settlement of Wardak Province, no IEA checkpoints were seen until Shash Ga=
w area. After that point, an IEA checkpoint appears at the gates of Ghazni =
City. IEA checkpoints are present in Maqur DAC of Ghazni City. After exitin=
g the provincial capital, two checkpoints were noted on the Highway One seg=
ment crossing through Shah Joy District of Zabul Province. IEA checkpoints =
were eventually seen at the exit gates of Qalat City, in Tarnak Wa Jaldak B=
azaar, and in Tarnak Wa Jaldak DAC.<br /><br /><strong>Health facilities:<b=
r /></strong>A total of three clinics can be easily reached from Highway On=
e when travelling from Kabul to Kandahar (excluding the health facilities i=
n these cities). The first clinics after exiting Kabul are in Maqur DAC of =
Ghazni City. After that point, one health facility was noted on the Highway=
 One segment crossing through Shah Joy District of Zabul Province. Past Sha=
h Joy District, a <a href=3D"https://goo.gl/maps/9dSrQzEuJUdEJz96A" target=
=3D"_blank" rel=3D"noopener">health facility</a> (31.813179, 66.340166) can=
 be found in Tarnak Wa Jaldak DAC of Zabul Province.<br /><br /></div>
<div style=3D"text-align: justify;"><strong>Telecommunication network servi=
ces:</strong></div>
<div style=3D"text-align: justify;">Telecommunications network services are=
 intermittent and often low bandwidth along the route. Roshan network was n=
o longer available in Shekh Abad District of Kabul Province. In the Bar Naw=
rozkhel area of Qarabagh District, Ghazni Province, both Roshan and AWCC ha=
d no coverage.<br /><br /></div>
<div style=3D"text-align: justify;">In much of the territory of Zabul Provi=
nce, network is weak. Network coverage is reported to be non-existent in at=
 least five districts&ndash;in some areas, this is the direct consequence o=
f the damage caused to telecommunication infrastructures during the few mon=
ths preceding August 2021. Roshan and Salaat are working on low bandwidth f=
rom Qalat City to Golayano Village of Tarnak Wa Jaldak District, where AWCC=
 had no coverage. National telecommunication network companies are working =
on reactivating their disrupted services along the route.</div>								</di=
v>
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lor:#15274B;  ">
								<div style=3D"margin: 12.5px 25px; padding: 0 12.5px 0 0;">ANALYSIS=
</div>
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2.0pt; font-family: 'Arial', sans-serif; line-height:115%;  ">
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ttom:1px solid #C1C2C4;">
								<div style=3D"text-align: justify;">As of June 2022, travel on the =
Kabul-Kandahar Highway presents a low level of risk for international and n=
ational NGO staff. However, travel on this route presents three key risks f=
or all NGO staff. These risks are delays and accidents due to poor road sur=
facing and perilous driving, consequences stemming from lack of stable netw=
ork coverage, and negative encounters with IEA members at checkpoints along=
 the route.<br /><br /></div>
<div style=3D"text-align: justify;">The segment of Highway One connecting K=
abul to the capital of Zabul Province, Qalat, crosses through areas, such a=
s Qarabagh District in Ghazni Province and Shah Joy District in Zabul Provi=
nce, known to be the stage of intense armed fighting in the past years. As =
a result, the road conditions are overall poor: potholes and tarmac gaps ar=
e frequent, some portions are gravelled, several residential buildings alon=
gside the route are partially or completely destroyed and burned vehicles o=
f the former GOA are still lying by the roadside. However, during the trans=
it there was no visible evidence of recent armed inter-communal hostilities=
, and traffic was regular and fluid, with no jams reported.<br /><br />Duri=
ng transit, the presence of heavy trucks may pose a safety threat to other =
vehicles. These trucks are usually overloaded with goods such as metal beam=
s, concrete bags, bricks, and other construction material, and it is not un=
common to see incidents where the vehicle overturned on the side due to exc=
essive load weight. During the transit, two road accidents were observed: i=
n one, a truck hit and damaged a sedan-type car, whereas in the second a tr=
uck was seen overturned on the side due to excessive load weight. Moreover,=
 it is common to see vehicles, including heavy trucks and buses, overtake a=
nd speed despite the lack of visibility and frequent potholes, thus increas=
ing the chance of being involved in an accident.<br /><br /></div>
<div style=3D"text-align: justify;">The low presence of checkpoints on the =
route can be an indication of IEA authorities&rsquo; confidence in the stab=
ility of the concerned areas, and also a consequence of the reported deploy=
ment of IEA armed forces from southern provinces to the North, namely Panjs=
hir, in response to OAG offensive. The number of checkpoints can reportedly=
 vary between journeys on the same route, indicating an irregular presence,=
 and the low number of IEA-manned VCPs and other physical security structur=
es may lead to an increase of criminal incidents. It was also reported that=
 at one VCP IEA forces were not dressed in a military fatigue, thus making =
it not easy to instantly identify them and, potentially, inducing vehicles =
to drive past without respecting standard procedures and triggering an arme=
d reaction from IEA forces.<br /><br /></div>
<div style=3D"text-align: justify;">Given the intermittent network coverage=
 and the sparse presence of clinics or health facilities, the response time=
 to potential accidents along the concerned segment of Highway One may be s=
ignificantly long, thus increasing the delay of a medical intervention in c=
ase of road accident. This, as a consequence, raises the likelihood of seri=
ous casualties.<br /><br /></div>
<div style=3D"text-align: justify;">The risk of becoming the target of crim=
es, such as thefts and armed robberies, while transiting on the concerned s=
tretch of Highway One is assessed as low. INSO recorded only five incidents=
 of this kind in 2022.</div>								</div>
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lor:#15274B;  ">
								<div style=3D"margin: 12.5px 25px; padding: 0 12.5px 0 0;">ADVICE</=
div>
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2.0pt; font-family: 'Arial', sans-serif; line-height:115%;  ">
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ttom:1px solid #C1C2C4;">
								<div style=3D"text-align: justify;">NGOs are recommended to carry d=
ifferent sim cards to ensure network coverage in remote districts, and cons=
ider offline tools (paper maps, offline mobile applications) to pinpoint cr=
itical landmarks such as clinics or health facilities. If available, NGOs s=
hould consider providing staff members with a satellite phone in case of em=
ergencies. The satellite phone should be accompanied by a paper license, as=
 IEA members may ask for it at checkpoints, and, when not in use, should id=
eally be kept out of sight.<br /><br /></div>
<div style=3D"text-align: justify;">Adequate technical maintenance should b=
e ensured for all NGO vehicles used in planned movements and the presence o=
f necessary emergency items (e.g. first aid kit, drinking water reserve) sh=
ould be confirmed prior to departure. It is also recommended NGOs travel in=
 convoys of minimum two cars, to ensure a swift response in case one is inv=
olved in an accident. It is recommended to conduct the road movement in a l=
ow-profile unmarked sedan-type vehicle (Toyota Corolla) with a local regist=
ration plate and papers. Low-profile vehicles are likely to attract less at=
tention than expensive and high-profile vehicles such as SUVs.<br /><br /><=
/div>
<div style=3D"text-align: justify;">NGOs should always slow down at VCPs, h=
alt if requested to do so, and respect standard procedures. NGOs are furthe=
r advised to seek to confirm the status of both Highway One and secondary r=
oads they intend to use for road movements through local intermediaries as =
close to departure as possible. It is also deemed essential to travel with =
a Pashto-speaking team member.</div>								</div>
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lor:#15274B;  ">
								<div style=3D"margin: 12.5px 25px; padding: 0 12.5px 0 0;">ISSUED B=
Y</div>
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2.0pt; font-family: 'Arial', sans-serif; line-height:115%;  ">
								<div style=3D"margin: 12.5px 25px; padding: 0 0 12.5px 0; border-bo=
ttom:1px solid #C1C2C4;">
								SA South, Beatrice Barco<br /><br /><a href=3D"mailto:sa.south@afg.=
ngosafety.org">sa.south@afg.ngosafety.org</a>								</div>
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lor:#15274B;  ">
								<div style=3D"margin: 12.5px 25px; padding: 0 12.5px 0 0;">INSO SER=
IAL #</div>
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2.0pt; font-family: 'Arial', sans-serif; line-height:115%;  ">
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ttom:1px solid #C1C2C4;">
								AFGHANISTAN/SOUTH/R/21062022/#001								</div>
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76b6; padding:0cm 0cm 0cm 0cm; height:63px; font-size:7.5pt; font-family:'A=
rial', sans-serif; color:white; text-align: center; vertical-align: middle;=
">
				INSO exists to provide dedicated security services to the NGO community=
. As a free service, INSO and its donors or partners, accept no liability w=
hatsoever for claims as may result from the provision or utilisation of the=
se free services. Whilst every effort is made to the verify data, INSO cann=
ot guarantee the accuracy of information provided. Reproduction of INSO inf=
ormation is prohibited.									<br>
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