IRIN
Afghanistan: Displaced Refugees
18 May 2001


ISLAMABAD, 18 May (IRIN) - Over the past year, Afghanistan has seen an
unprecedented displacement of its civilian population as a result of
conflict, drought and prolonged economic hardship. Since last June, over
800,000 Afghans have been displaced or have become refugees in
neighbouring Pakistan and Iran, adding to the existing caseload of 2.2
million and 1.5 million refugees respectively.


Summary:

Central highlands:

An escalation in fighting has affected nearly half a million people in the
central highlands region, prompting ongoing displacement to Kabul, Iran
and Pakistan. A total of 60,000 people are thought to have left since June
last year, 30,000 of whom left due to intensive fighting since January.
Fear of further conflict and poor agricultural prospects have contributed
to the exodus. It is estimated that 34,000 children are malnourished in
the five most severely affected districts of the highlands.

Western region:

There are an estimated 100,000 displaced Afghans in six camps near Herat.
The mainly westward flow of displaced into the Herat camps has risen
sharply from 75 families per day in January, to 300 families daily by the
end of April. Despite the airlifting of supplies by the US, Norway and
Japan, conditions remain cramped and unsanitary, raising concerns for
summer epidemics. WFP maintains that most of the displaced families are
arriving from remote areas that did not receive food aid. A further exodus
is expected due to local insecurity, poor rainfall and the exhaustion of
food reserves.

Northern region:

The ongoing civil war in the northeastern provinces (Takhar, Kunduz and
Baghlan) between Taliban and Northern Alliance forces, coupled with
insecurity and the severe effects of the drought in the northwestern
provinces (Faryab, Jowzjan, Sar-i-Pul and Balkh) have displaced an
estimated 100,000 people. As of 17 May, there were reports of fresh
displacement from western drought-affected rural areas to Mazar-i-Sharif
city. The escalation of fighting in the central province of Bamyan and
sporadic exchanges between Taliban and opposition forces on the Pyandzh
river has led to the fresh displacement of 1,000 and 1,500 families
respectively.
 
Northeastern region:
 
The majority of those civilians affected by last year's fighting around
Taloqan remain displaced. Continued fighting near Taloqan has prompted
further displacement into the northern province of Takhar, bringing the
total to 18,000 families, or 90,000 people. Impoverished by the conflict
and prolonged drought, this displaced population is entirely dependent on
international assistance. Recent inter-agency assessments have recorded a
high level of mortality in under-10-year-olds from measles, malnutrition
and acute respiratory infections. Food stocks are exhausted in some areas,
and people have resorted to eating seed stock, spring grass and roots.
Most displaced families were unable to plant crops this year and will
require assistance until next winter.  A further 10,000 people are
isolated on islands in the Pyandzh river, caught between Taliban forces
and the Tajik border.

Central (Kabul) region:

Accurate numbers of recently displaced are not known. However, several
hundred families have arrived in Kabul since last June, following fighting
in the northern province of Takhar and the central province of Bamyan. It
is estimated that nearly half of the 1.8 million people currently living
in Kabul have been displaced for over six years.

Southern region:

An estimated 23,000 families, mainly kochi(transhumant pastoralists), are
displaced in the region, according to local UN sources. Some kochi
families from the Registan desert are expected to migrate to their
northern summer pasture lands, alleviating the pressure on local
communities in and around Kandahar. It is estimated that 20 percent of the
displaced kochi population may return to places of origin this season,
with the remainder dependent on external aid as they restock their
depleted herds. The UN has registered 60,000 displaced as recipients of
relief assistance.

Pakistan:

Some 200,000 new refugees have entered Pakistan since last June, of whom
174,500 are located in camps in the North-West Frontier Province and
Baluchistan. UNHCR estimate that 80,000 refugees are in the makeshift
Jalozai camp, 60,000 refugees in Shamshatoo camp, and 16,500 in Akora
Khattak camp. A further 18,000 people are living near the Baluchistan
capital, Quetta. The remainder are thought to have settled in rural or
urban areas without requesting international aid. This latest influx
brings the total number of refugees in Pakistan to 2.2 million, with 1.2
million Afghans in long-term camps or rural areas, and 800,000 living in
urban centres, such as Karachi and Lahore.

Iran:

According to UNHCR, the Iranian government has reported that over 200,000
Afghans have sought refuge from conflict and drought in Iran since the
start of this year. International monitoring indicates that 36,000 people
have been deported back to Afghanistan by the authorities. There are 1.5
million Afghan refugees currently in Iran. This number is expected to
increase once Iran completes the registration of all refugees this year.

SOURCE: Office of the United Nations Coordinator for Afghanistan; UNHCR
Afghanistan/Pakistan.


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