Wed, 06/22/2011 - 21:28
Washington, D.C.-- As American troops begin to withdraw from Afghanistan and transition security to the Afghan forces, Refugees International is calling on President Barack Obama to ensure that the humanitarian needs of those displaced by the conflict are addressed. In his statement to Americans this evening, President Obama touted the success of his administration's military strategy in Afghanistan. Last month, a Refugees International team traveled to Afghanistan and found evidence that the Obama Administration’s counterinsurgency strategy is actually causing greater instability and forcing more Afghans from their homes. Despite the U.S. military’s claims of progress, insurgent attacks are up by 50% over last year, and almost 250,000 people have fled their villages in the past two years.
“President Obama's strategy in Afghanistan has not prioritized the needs of hundreds of thousands of Afghans whose lives have been made worse since the war began,” said Michel Gabaudan, President of Refugees International. “U.S. and Afghan forces have not only failed to protect Afghanistan’s most vulnerable people, their operations have uprooted thousands of people from their homes and villages. President Obama said tonight that the light of a secure peace in Afghanistan can be seen in the distance. But that light will not shine for many Afghans until both governments address the military's impact on Afghan civilians."
In a report due to be launched next week, Refugees International notes that more than 91,000 Afghans have fled their villages since January 1 – compared to just 42,000 over the same time period last year. Before the U.S. military escalated its campaign, people were fleeing for brief periods and returning home shortly thereafter. Now, people are increasingly unwilling to return home because they fear their villages are no longer safe. International air strikes and night raids by U.S. Special Forces are destroying homes, crops, and basic infrastructure, traumatizing civilians, and displacing tens of thousands of people.
The proliferation of militias – many funded and trained by the U.S. as part of the Afghan Local Police (ALP) initiative – is only making a bad situation worse. Refugees International argues these militias are increasing insecurity, particularly in the country’s north. Security analysts and humanitarian actors in the field told Refugees International that ALP units have looted, harassed, and forcibly taxed villages. Refugees International is concerned that the rapid expansion of poorly vetted, ill-trained, and unsupervised ALP units are a major threat to civilians and stability. Refugees International is calling on Congress to withhold payments to this program until adequate recruitment, vetting, discipline and command/control structures are established.
“So much of the discussion around Afghanistan is focused on U.S. troop levels and how quickly this war will end. But there is no end in sight to the misery of those hundreds of thousands who have been displaced,” said Michel Gabaudan. “President Obama indicated he will continue to work with the Afghan government and its people. He has a strategic interest and moral responsibility to work with Afghan officials to prioritize the needs of Afghanistan’s most vulnerable people.”
Refugees International is a Washington DC-based organization that advocates to end refugee crises and receives no government or UN funding. In May, an RI team traveled to Kabul, Herat, and Mazar-i-Sharif.
For Immediate Release: June 22, 2011 Contact: Dara McLeod +1 240 486 3011; dara@refugeesinternational.org