NANGARHAR KUCHI DIRECTOR: THE KUCHIS NEED

UNCLAS KABUL 000378

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV PHUM PREL USAID AF
SUBJECT: NANGARHAR KUCHI DIRECTOR: THE KUCHIS NEED
HEALTHCARE AND EDUCATION ASSISTANCE


1. (SBU) The Nangarhar Provincial Director of the Kuchi
Directorate said in a January 27 meeting that the main
problems facing the Kuchi people are: 1) lack of education,
2) insufficient healthcare, 3) lack of potable water, and 4)
lack of grazing land and veterinary services for livestock.
The director also said that the Kuchis had received little
support from the central government, despite having 10
members of Parliament.

KUCHIS LACKING IN EDUCATION OPPORTUNITIES
--------------


2. (SBU) Nangarhar Director of the Kuchi Directorate Aseel
Jan Niazi asked for Embassy assistance in obtaining aid for
his people. He said that the Kuchis of Nangarhar were facing
several severe problems, including: 1) a lack of schools; 2)
a lack of potable water in the form of pump access to wells;
3) very few clinics or mobile clinics that service the Kuchis
directly; and 4) lack of grazing land for livestock.


3. (SBU) On education, the Kuchi nomadic lifestyle posed
challenges for providing educational services. Even for
those Kuchis who stay in Nangarhar, there was a shortage of
educational facilities for Kuchi children. For example, the
province had only ONE small, temporary primary school to
serve the whole of the population, an estimated 300-400 Kuchi
children.


4. (SBU) The Director suggested that the best solution for
the Kuchis would be mobile schools that could travel with
them during their four-month yearly migration. Kuchi camp
sites are often well away from urban areas due to the need
for room for their livestock. Use of the local schools in
the areas to which they traveled was not practical.

HEALTHCARE
--------------


5. (SBU) On healthcare, Niazi said there was only ONE
mobile clinic in Nangarhar Province to serve the Kuchi
people, despite the fact that Kuchis live in 19 of
Nangarhar's 22 districts. Niazi asked for help in obtaining
more mobile clinics. Of those 19 districts, the majority of
Kuchis live in four districts: 1) Bati Kowt, 2) Kameh, 3)
Sorkhrud, and 4) Pachiro Agam.


6. (SBU) According to Niazi, the Kuchis lack potable water
because of their nomadic lifestyle. They don't have regular
access to well water, and frequently draw their water from
ditches and canals around urban areas. That water is
frequently contaminated. The Kuchis, he said, would like
assistance in digging wells in Nangarhar.

PASTURE LANDS
--------------


7. (SBU) The final major problem facing the Kuchis,
according to Niazi, was a shortage of grazing lands during
their migration, and veterinary services, in general. Kuchis
had adequate livestock, but lacked fodder or grazing space
during their migration because the lands they crossed were
claimed by other tribes. This led to occasional conflicts.
Niazi asked for help in obtaining either food or right of way
to Kuchi bands passing through other areas to their summer
quarters.

RELATIONSHIP WITH CENTRAL GOVERNMENT
--------------


8. (SBU) The Kuchis, according to Niazi, do not have a good
relationship with the central government. He had "not seen
anything visible" from the central government, despite the
fact that the Kuchis have 10 members of Parliament to
represent them. Niazi said that Kuchi MPs only serve in the
Wolesi Jirga (lower house),though the constitution requires
that the president appoint two Kuchi representatives to the
Mishrano Jirga (upper house). (There are in fact two Kuchi
members of the Mishrano Jirga - Bulqis Kuchai of Faryab, and
Haji Nazar Mohammad of Baghlan.) Kuchis are excited to
participate in this year's elections, now that they
understand their importance. He estimated that 30,000 -
40,000 new Kuchi voters had registered in Nangarhar in 2008.


9. (U) COMMENT: USAID has been preparing an assessment of
Kuchi needs to properly plan a way of rendering assistance to
them. Conducting the assessment during the winter season was
impracticable. The assessment will begin in the spring.
WOOD