ReliefWeb

More than ten years after the fall of the Taliban, Afghanistan´s transition towards peace and stability remains far from complete. Decades of armed conflict, natural disasters and extreme weather have had a devastating effect on Afghan society, causing significant civilian casualties, widespread destruction of property and infrastructure and numerous waves of displacement. Some 75 per cent of Afghans are thought to have experienced some form of displacement at least once during their lives, and the escalation and spread of armed conflict in recent years has led to a renewed rise in the number of internally displaced people (IDPs). Armed conflict and violence continue to disrupt the lives of Afghans today; an average of 400 Afghans a day have fled their homes since 2006, bringing the current number of IDPs to well over 500,000.

IDPs are among the people most at risk in society and the vast majority are beyond the reach of humanitarian organisations. They are often exposed to human rights abuses and food insecurity, and their return to their places of origin is hampered by a lack of protection, livelihood opportunities and essential services. Many have been forced into prolonged secondary and even tertiary displacement. Significant numbers seek relative security in urban areas, where they are indistinguishable from the masses of urban poor, but at the same time more vulnerable as they are particularly affected by unemployment, limited access to adequate housing, and food insecurity.

There is an urgent need for both the Afghan Government and the international community to prioritise the protection and assistance of IDPs, and to dedicate humanitarian and development resources to the task within the framework of a comprehensive strategy on displacement. Such a strategy must cover the full range of durable solutions, with particular attention paid to the local integration of urban IDPs. Recent indications of the government’s intention to develop a national IDP policy are welcome, but these should be accompanied by a strengthened coordinating role for the Ministry of Refugees and Repatriation (MoRR), and by improved IDP profiling and monitoring mechanisms.

Meanwhile, the Afghan authorities, the country's security forces and the international military presence should prioritise efforts to prevent displacement and minimise its effects. Internal displacement also needs to figure prominently in discussions during the Afghan Stakeholders´ Conference in May 2012, but at the same time it is crucial that any reintegration strategy for returnees does not divert attention or resources from current protection and humanitarian needs of IDPs.