IRIN
AFGHANISTAN: Thousands displaced by fighting and drought in Helmand need help - officials
24 August 2006


[This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United 
Nations]

KABUL, 24 August (IRIN) - Local authorities on Thursday appealed for 
emergency relief for thousands of families displaced by recent fighting 
and drought in the southern Afghan province of Helmand.

Fierce fighting over the past two months between government forces and 
the ousted Taliban militia, coupled with this year's particularly hash 
drought, have forced nearly 4,000 families to leave their homes and 
villages in Helmand, Abdul Satar Mazhari, provincial refugee department 
chief in Helmand, said.

"They need urgent assistance such as food, tents and even safe drinking 
water," Mazhari maintained.

According to local authorities, many of the people have been displaced 
from Nowzad, Washeer, Garam Seer, Mussa Qala and Sangin districts.

"They are now living in very poor conditions in Lashkar Gah, [provincial 
capital of Helmand] and the deserts of Nad Ali, and Marja districts," 
Mazhari explained.

Spokesman for Helmand's governor's office, Haji Mahaiudin, said that 
they didn't have enough supplies to help the thousands of destitute 
people affected. "We have no resources in hand to support such a huge 
influx of people," Mahaiudin asserted.

A local official, who declined to be named, said that the number of 
people displaced by recent fighting in Helmand was much higher than the 
official figures.

Commenting on this, Dr Assadullah Mayar, department head of the Afghan 
Red Crescent Society (ARCS) of Helmand, confirmed that the agency had 
already delivered food items to hundreds of displaced families.

"Our department has delivered food items such as cooking oil, blankets 
and tents to some 387 families displaced by recent violence but more 
assistance is needed," Mayar told IRIN from Lashkar Gah.

Meanwhile, the deteriorating security situation has already forced some 
foreign aid agencies working in Helmand to temporarily shut down their 
relief operations.

"We have suspended all of our developmental and relief projects since 20 
July due to security threats facing our local staff in Helmand," Abdul 
Khaliq, provincial manager of the Bangladesh Rural Advancement Committee 
(BRAC), an international NGO, told IRIN from the southern city of 
Kandahar.

BRAC was working on several developmental projects such as building 
canals, roads and health clinics, benefitting some 50,000 Helmand 
residents.

"All of our 150 local staff have stopped their work in Helmand," Khaliq 
explained. "We are observing the security situation on the ground and 
will resume our activities if it improves."

Helmand, which has proven a hotbed of Taliban activity, has seen the 
deadliest violence this year, with hundreds of people, including 
militants, security forces, civilians and foreign troops losing their 
lives.

In addition to growing insecurity in the country, which has claimed the 
lives of some 2,000 people this year, harsh drought conditions in 
Afghanistan have resulted in some 2.5 million people facing an imminent 
food crisis.


IRIN-Asia
Tel: +90 312 454 1177
Fax: +90 312 495 4166
Email: IrinAsia@IRINnews.org


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