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Date: Wed, 19 Oct 2022 15:18:59 +0000 (UTC)
From: INSO_AFG_WEST_SA <sa.west@afg.ngosafety.org>
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Message-ID: <lL-mFjngRoijc_VmgBPhaQ@geopod-ismtpd-1-1>
Subject: INSO REPORT - AFG - BADGHIS: Suspension Of NGO Activities By Governor
 Increases Risk of NGO Staff Detention
To: "Dr. Sayed Musa Musawy" <musawy@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=
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EPORT</span></div>
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; padding: 0; font-family:'Arial', sans-serif; color:#182748">&nbsp;&nbsp;&=
nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;ATTENTION RECOMMENDED</span></div>
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								<div style=3D"margin: 12.5px 25px; padding: 0 12.5px 0 0;">LOCATION=
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								<p>Afghanistan, Badghis Province, Qala-E-Naw City, PD 1, Governor C=
ompound</p>								</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;">
								Suspension Of NGO Activities								</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;">
								19/10/2022 09:00								</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;">On 19 October in the morning ho=
urs, the Department of Economy (DOE) of Badghis Province announced the susp=
ension of all LNGO, INGO and IO activities in the province via the Whatsapp=
 group chat used by DOE to communicate with the humanitarian community. The=
 DOE specified that the suspension will last until further notice. There wa=
s no mention of sanctions incurred by NGOs contravening to the order. The P=
rovincial Governor (PG) later said that NGO and IO activities in the health=
, agriculture and education sectors were exempt from the ban.</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 cause of the ban is the dis=
satisfaction of the PG with regards to the IDP-related activities of NGOs a=
nd IO agencies. Since early 2022, the PG has been requesting that the human=
itarian community returns large numbers of IDPs, in the order of 2,600 to 3=
,000 families, to their original villages. In his view, the work has not be=
en done. NGOs and IOs recently conducted intention surveys, which found out=
 that a large majority of IDPs were in favour of returning to their home vi=
llage upon receipt of assistance. NGOs and IOs also recently ran a pilot pr=
oject, achieving the return of 200 families to their home villages. The PG =
expected the humanitarian community to continue and expand the volume of ID=
P returns after the pilot project ended. As this did not happen, the PG int=
ends the ban to incentivize NGOs and IOs to scale up and accelerate efforts=
 to return IDPs.<br /><br /></div>
<div style=3D"text-align: justify;">Disagreements and misunderstandings bet=
ween the IEA and NGOs and IOs regarding IDPs have been constant in the past=
 six months, and are likely to continue. On 18 May, the PG demanded that NG=
Os stop distribution programs to IDPs located in the eight IDP camps around=
 Qala-e Naw City, as he insisted IDPs must return to their original village=
s. NGOs, he specified, are under the obligation to help IDPs return home. D=
issatisfied with NGOs and IOs, the PG then suspended NGO activities on 21 M=
ay. The forced suspension lasted until 25 May, when an IO agency convinced =
the PG to allow NGO activities to resume. The PG set a new deadline on 01 J=
uly, by which date NGOs and relevant IO agencies must have concluded all ne=
cessary surveys and needs assessments, and start relocating approximately 3=
,000 IDP families to their original villages. On 19 and 20 July, disagreeme=
nts between an IO and IEA authorities surrounding the IDP issue in Qala-e N=
aw City again escalated, and IEA authorities threatened several IO and NGO =
workers with arrest. As a result, both INSO and the IO issued advices to hu=
manitarian organisations to restrict all movements in an around Qala-e Naw =
City as the risk of detention by IEA forces was assessed as increased.<br /=
><br /></div>
<div style=3D"text-align: justify;">The risk of detention of NGO and IO sta=
ff members is again assessed as increased. Although the message by DOE anno=
uncing the suspension of NGO activities did not specify sanctions to contra=
vening NGOs, staff members are at a higher risk of arrest and detention tha=
n normal. The four-day ban in May was enforced and caused the arrests of an=
 IO national staff member and his driver by IEA forces in Muqur District. T=
he current NGO ban will also be enforced. In the coming days, IEA forces ma=
nning checkpoints or conducting patrols will likely view NGO workers and ve=
hicles with increased suspicion, and will be more prone to interrogate them=
 and conduct arrests and detentions. IEA forces are unlikely to differentia=
te NGOs and leave alone NGO workers active in the field of health, educatio=
n and agriculture, despite assurances by the PG that such NGOs would not be=
 affected by the NGO ban. Nevertheless, workers from NGOs and IOs which hav=
e been working with IDPs are at a higher risk of arrest and detention.<br /=
><br /></div>
<div style=3D"text-align: justify;">IO agencies will, in a few days, again =
attempt to convince the PG to lift the ban. Although a temporary agreement =
might be found, it is highly unlikely to durably defuse tension. The PG lac=
ks trust in NGOs and IOs, and has the impression that the humanitarian comm=
unity broke its promises. The PG considers that the suspension of NGO activ=
ities is a legitimate and justified measure, and is likely continue using i=
t in the medium term. There is also a risk that the practice of forcefully =
suspending NGO activites could spill over other issues than the IDP-related=
 problem, or be emulated by other provincial governors. In Herat Province f=
or instance, the relationship between NGOs, IDPs, and IEA authorities have =
been tense in recent months, and currently &nbsp;rests on fragile compromis=
es.</div>								</div>
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3.52%; border:none; font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Arial', sans-serif; co=
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 restrict un=
necessary movements within Badghis Province, until the IO engages with IEA =
authorities in Badghis Province and the latter announce that NGOs and IOs c=
an resume activity as normal.<br /><br /></div>
<div style=3D"text-align: justify;">NGOs are advised to reiterate and advoc=
ate the importance of the humanitarian principles in cases when authorities=
 attempt to steer NGO policy with regards to IDPs, maintaining the critical=
ity of the principle of neutrality and operational independence. At the sam=
e time, NGOs and IOs are advised to carefully manage the expectations of IE=
A leaders and avoid leading the latter to overestimate the capabilities of =
NGOs and IOs as this can lead to a decrease in mutual trust and, as a resul=
t, to an increased risk of arrests and detentions.<br /><br /></div>
<div style=3D"text-align: justify;">Any incidents of hostility towards NGO =
staff members should be addressed with relevant local or national level IEA=
 authorities, as appropriate in the particular instance, and through bodies=
 mandated to engage on advocacy, such as OCHA and ACBAR, while also informi=
ng INSO.</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%;  ">
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ttom:1px solid #C1C2C4;">
								SA West, Oscar Janssens de Bisthoven<br /><br /><a href=3D"mailto:s=
a.west@afg.ngosafety.org">sa.west@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/WEST/R/19102022/#001								</div>
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rial', sans-serif; color:white; text-align: center; vertical-align: middle;=
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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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