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Date: Mon, 27 Jun 2022 10:29:51 +0000 (UTC)
From: INSO_AFG_NORTH_SA <sa.north@afg.ngosafety.org>
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Message-ID: <SocKtrcqQdKqtEU3C88lJQ@geopod-ismtpd-3-0>
Subject: INSO REPORT - AFG - BALKH: Availability of the Hairatan-Termez Border
 Crossing for NGO Evacuation Purposes
To: Naseer Ahmad Gulzai <gulzai@jack.ngo>

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC '-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Strict//EN' 'http://www.w3.org=
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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=
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2.0pt; font-family: 'Arial', sans-serif; line-height:115%;  ">
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ttom:1px solid #C1C2C4;">
								Afghanistan, Balkh Province, Hairatan City, <a href=3D"https://goo.=
gl/maps/CQH62bhLHU9sMkSu6">Hairatan-Termez Border Crossing</a> Area								=
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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;">
								Evacuation 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;">
								27/06/2022 14:00								</div>
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lor:#15274B;  ">
								<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;">The Hairatan border crossing be=
tween Uzbekistan and Afghanistan is located approximately 83 km north of Ma=
zar City and NGOs operating in the Northern Region in the past considered t=
he crossing as a potential evacuation route. Since 27 October, following th=
e presidential elections in Uzbekistan, the border crossing has been closed=
 to civilian traffic apart from businessmen transporting goods into Afghani=
stan and, in exceptional cases, also into Uzbekistan. The possibility of us=
ing the land border crossing to enter Uzbekistan from Afghanistan for reaso=
ns other than business has been suspended altogether, even for non-Afghan n=
ationals in possession of a valid Uzbek visa.<br /><br /></div>
<div style=3D"text-align: justify;">For evacuation purposes, however, both =
national and international NGO staff under credible threat of life would re=
portedly be allowed to cross into Uzbekistan regardless of their visa statu=
s, particularly if NGOs made prior contact with relevant Uzbek institutions=
 about the possibility. NGOs can contact Uzbek authorities either in Uzbeki=
stan or at the Uzbek Consulate in Mazar-e Sharif to secure a bilateral agre=
ement granting individual NGOs the possibility to cross the border in times=
 of crisis. NGOs entered into similar agreements before the IEA takeover, t=
hough, at the time of writing, no such arrangement was allegedly active. NG=
O staff entering Uzbekistan should be in possession of a valid Uzbek visa i=
f required, but such a visa can also be received at the border once the bri=
dge connecting Afghanistan and Uzbekistan is crossed during an evacuation.<=
/div>								</div>
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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;">The crossing regime at the Uzbe=
kistan-Afghanistan border is unlikely to change in the short- to medium-ter=
m, but NGOs can consider the border crossing as an administratively viable =
and operationally stable evacuation route, particularly if they secure an a=
greement with the Uzbek authorities on this contingency plan.<br /><br /></=
div>
<div style=3D"text-align: justify;">The relationship between the IEA and Uz=
bek border forces appeared resilient throughout 2022, and several events su=
ggested that even in case of significant security developments in Afghanist=
an, Uzbekistan would be unlikely to resort to radical border closures that =
would prevent NGOs from evacuating via this crossing. Following the IS-KP-a=
uthored rocket attack against Uzbekistan&rsquo;s Termez on 19 April, Uzbek =
forces only briefly increased their security posture, but movements across =
the border remained unaffected. Similarly, in May, an IEA member of the bor=
der force reportedly shot a warning SAF upon seeing an Uzbek patrol boat ap=
proaching Afghanistan's border. The ensuing tension was allegedly dispelled=
 on 25 May in a meeting between the IEA and Uzbek border forces, who claim =
to maintain direct lines of communication and conduct similar ad hoc meetin=
gs to address misunderstandings and discuss procedures.<br /><br /></div>
<div style=3D"text-align: justify;">Nonetheless, several factors continued =
to strain the interactions between the two countries, indicating that the b=
order is unlikely to open in the upcoming months for non-business travel. T=
his would include particularly such contentious issues as the pending retur=
n of the aircraft that ANSF pilots used to escape into Uzbekistan during th=
e IEA takeover, or the potential for Afghanistan to become a safe haven for=
 regional OAGs that could pose a security risk to Uzbekistan. Bilateral eva=
cuation agreements with the Uzbek authorities, therefore, would likely be r=
elevant for extended periods of time.</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 advised to contact Uzb=
ek authorities to discuss the exact modalities under which their national a=
nd international staff would be allowed to evacuate through the Hairatan-Te=
rmez land border. Particular attention should be paid to the process of nat=
ional staff receiving visas at the border crossing as well as to the defini=
tion of an <em>in extremis</em> situation.<br /><br /></div>
<div style=3D"text-align: justify;">It is also recommended that NGOs with o=
perations in the Northern Region include the Hairatan-Termez land border cr=
ossing in their contingency planning for scenarios in which air travel beco=
mes unviable.</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 North, Marek Baron<br /><br /><a href=3D"mailto:sa.north@afg.ngo=
safety.org">sa.north@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/NORTH/R/27062022/#001								</div>
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				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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