Afghanistan Peace Education

Country-Specific Information:
• Afghanistan has a total of 15,750 confirmed cases of COVID-19 (Coronavirus) and 265 deaths attributed to the disease (Ministry of Public Health). Kabul (6,212 confirmed cases and 31 deaths), Herat (2,689 confirmed cases and 53 deaths), Balkh (1,088 confirmed cases and 36 deaths), Nangarhar (803 confirmed cases and 21 death), and Kandahar (636 confirmed cases and 16 deaths) have the most cases.
• The government confirms some cases are from “community spread” and not connected to travel to Iran and other countries.
• Kabul city, Herat, Farah, Jalalabad (Nangarhar), Asadabad (Kunar), and Zaranj (Nimroz) are on lockdown.
• The total number of COVID-19 testing labs is 10. There are four in Kabul (National Public Health Lab, National Veterinary Lab, Afghan-Japan Hospital, and Military Hospital), and one each in Herat, Kandahar, Nangarhar, Balkh, Paktya, and Kunduz.
• A new 100-bed COVID-19 hospital is now open in Herat.
• The Darulaman Palace (300 beds) and Kabul and PolyTechnic universities’ dormitories have been converted into isolation facilities in Kabul city.
• Large numbers of travelers have been reported returning from Iran to Afghanistan through Herat province. Iran is experiencing sustained community spread of COVID-19, and is subject to U.S. travel restrictions.
• American citizens with questions related to the COVID-19 coronavirus can contact the Overseas Citizens Services call center at +1 202-501-4444 (overseas) or 1-888-407-4747 (U.S. & Canada).
Entry and Exit Requirements:
Are there any new restrictions in place as a result of the worldwide outbreak?
• All foreign airlines (Emirates, Fly Dubai, Turkish Airlines, Air India) and Kam Air have announced the suspension of services from Kabul. There are currently no commercial options for international travelers leaving Kabul.
• The Government of Afghanistan has re-opened its border with Iran, which had been closed briefly to all air and ground travel.
What procedures are in place at airports and other ports of entry?
• Entry and exit procedures are pending guidance from the Government of Afghanistan once airports re-open and land borders resume normal operations.

Quarantine Information:
People arriving from other countries and who do not show symptoms of COVID-19 are advised to self-quarantine at home for 14 days. If you have any symptoms, you are instructed to contact the Ministry of Public Health and seek care.
Testing and Treatment
Provincial hospitals are establishing protocols for triaging and evaluating patients under investigation.
Isolation wards for treatment have been established in Herat (80 beds) and Kabul (100 beds) for patients with COVID-19.
Local Resources:

Basic Health and Psychological Support: OPD was provided to 200 beneficiaries out of whom also received psychological support. The services included treatment of pelvic inflammatory disease, sexually transmitted diseases, gastritis, arthritis, hypertension, hypotension, skin problems, urinary tract infection, diarrhea, vitamin deficiency, anemia, pneumonia, tonsillitis, upper respiratory infection, dental problems, family planning, antenatal care, postnatal care, anxiety, stress and depression. They were also provided with Health Awareness about topics such as personal & environmental hygiene, COVID-19 emergency pandemic and precaution measures, water sanitation, food safety, communicable diseases. The assistance were provided mainly to the IDPs and Returnee communities in Afghanistan.

Community Peace Event: APEDO has designed this programme to encourage both returnee and IDP families to participate in order to build a sense of local belonging in and loyalty and respect for the local community and vice versa. Targeting community members across different ages do participate in the event and share their ideas and initiatives for child rights, child education, girls education, women rights etc. in a very peaceful manner. The component received very positive feedback from the beneficiaries. The older beneficiaries mentioned that the origination of such as events create a sense of motivation among all the community members.

Early Childhood Daycare Program Support: This program is supported with the aim to increase female learners’ attendance in the parallel to the literacy programme and other educational programs. A total of 200 young children aged 4-6 years were supported with learning materials. APEDO peace education program support initiatives are always appreciated through the education directorate in the country.

The lockdown implemented on the Afghan nation due to Covid-19 had several social, economic impacts on the Afghan low income or female-headed families. The economic impacts were so evident because these families hardly have food to eat.

The lockdown implemented on the Afghan nation due to Covid-19 had several social, economic impacts on the Afghan low income or female-headed families. The economic impacts were so evident because these families hardly have food to eat.