WUNRN
Amnesty International
FLEEING WAR, FINDING MISERY - THE
PLIGHT OF THE INTERNALLY DISPLACED IN AFGHANISTAN
23 February 2012
Afghans Fleeing War Find Misery in Urban Slums - Women & Girls
At least 28 children have died in harsh
winter conditions in the camps around
© Amnesty International
Direct Link to Full 101-Page Report:
Half a million Afghans displaced by
fighting are struggling to survive in makeshift shelters let down by their
government and international donors that look the other way, Amnesty
International said in a new report released today.
At least 28 children have died in the harsh winter conditions in the camps
around
Fleeing war, finding misery: The plight of the internally displaced in
Afghanistan,
highlights how an escalation in fighting has left half a million Afghans
internally displaced with around 400 more joining their ranks every single day.
“Thousands of people are finding themselves living in freezing, cramped
conditions and on the brink of starvation, while the Afghan government is not
only looking the other way but even preventing help from reaching them,” said
Horia Mosadiq, Amnesty International’s Afghanistan researcher.
Throughout
“Local officials restrict aid efforts because they want to pretend that these
people are going to go away. This is a largely hidden but horrific humanitarian
and human rights crisis,” said Horia Mosadiq.
“We don’t know where all the international aid is going…we don't know why the
government isn't able to provide us with basic shelter,” said Yahya, a man
living in
Most slum residents told Amnesty International that they had fled their homes
to escape conflict. Fighting has spread to parts of the country previously
considered peaceful. Civilian deaths have increased every year since 2007 and
in 2011, more than 3,000 Afghan civilians died as a result of the conflict,
according to the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA).
The vast majority of civilian casualties are caused by the Taleban and other
insurgent groups, but many displaced Afghans told Amnesty International that
they had fled in fear of aerial bombardment by the International Security
Assistance Force (ISAF) and to avoid being used as human shields by the
Taleban.
Amnesty International has called on the International Criminal Court (ICC) to
investigate war crimes by the Taleban and all other parties to the conflict in
“The Americans and the government told us to leave the area before they wanted
to attack Marjah. The Taleban.. did not allow civilians to leave the area. They
also told people that the foreign forces will come and rape our women and
girls,” said Zarin, a 70-year-old woman who came to
Entire communities are now fleeing their homes in search of greater security.
“Afghans have real grounds to feel less secure now than at any point in the
last ten years,” said Horia Mosadiq. “International and Afghan forces should
address the impact of conflict on civilians, including displacement. The
Taleban must also look to protect civilians, by ensuring humanitarian access to
the areas they control.”
Those Afghans who have fled to the relative safety of cities face problems of a
different kind. Housing in
Food is scarce in the settlements. Many displaced families told Amnesty
International that they could only provide their children with one meal each
day at most.
“Since we came there is no assistance or anything; the family has not eaten
anything for the past two days….We are displaced and have lost all our
livelihoods,” said Zarin.
“Many Afghans have adapted to rural lifestyles that provide them with at least
basic food and shelter. When they reach the cities, they are poorly prepared
for dealing with a cash-based economy, higher prices, and the complexities of
urban life,” said Horia Mosadiq. “They can’t go back home, but they can't
establish a new proper home either.”
Cramped conditions, poor sanitation and few health clinics combine to promote
the spread of disease. Most women give birth in difficult and unsanitary slum
conditions without skilled birth attendants, increasing the risk of maternal
and infant death in a country already ranked among the world’s worst.
Children in slum communities have little access to education. They may be
refused school attendance if they cannot produce a national identification
card, a document which the authorities say can only be obtained in their home
province. Some are turned away from school simply for wearing dirty
clothes.
“I don’t know which problem I should talk about – school, unemployment, not
having proper housing, food, health – when my children are getting sick and I
have to pay for the doctor…. It's everything,” said Fatima, a woman in her 20s
living in
“The increasing population of displaced people in urban slums threatens to undo
the fragile advances in health care and education that we’ve seen in
Displaced families in makeshift camps are under constant threat of forced
eviction. In some cases, families have had to scramble to move belongings
before bulldozers level their shelters.
“These people are especially vulnerable – they must seek shelter, provide for
themselves and their families while coping with the trauma caused by the
conflict they have fled,” said Horia Mosadiq.
Under international law,
“Even with its limited resources, the Afghan government can aid its displaced
citizens,” said Horia Mosadiq. “Authorities must use the international aid
available and remove conditions placed on humanitarian assistance, and provide
for displaced families’ immediate needs.
“International donors which fund over 90 per cent of
“Afghanistan should also protect the displaced against forced eviction,
guarantee displaced children access to primary education, and allow identity
cards to be issued throughout the country so that they can exercise their legal
rights.”