USCR's senior policy analyst for Asia,
Hiram A. Ruiz, visited Afghanistan and Pakistan in mid-January 2001. Following
are some of Ruiz's observations regarding the situation in Afghanistan:
The most severe drought to hit Afghanistan
in 30 years has affected most areas of the country, but particularly the
central, northern, and southern regions. By mid-January, more than 75,000
persons had migrated to Herat, western Afghanistan's largest city, in search
of food. The number was expected to grow to more than 95,000 by late February.
The displaced began arriving in June and July, but the numbers did not escalate dramatically until September. Most of the displaced are from Badgis, Faryab, and Ghor provinces. Most are rural people who either had small plots of land or worked are tenant farmers on others' lands.
By late summer, many rural families were running out of food. They began selling their livestock and other goods to survive, and it was only after exhausting all their resources that they decided to migrate to Herat.
The displaced are being housed in six camps. The largest, Maslagh, which is also the only camp receiving new arrivals, held more than 32,000 people.
The relief effort has been spotty. There was inadequate leadership and coordination in the early months, and many of the organizations attempting to assist the displaced struggled due to a lack of funds. Consequently, conditions in the camps were surprisingly poor, with inadequate shelter and blankets, little sanitation, and uneven food distribution. Nevertheless, there were no reports of widespread malnutrition.
Since December, both the coordination and conditions in the camps have begun to improve, though funding remains a major concern.
Hundreds of thousands of other Afghans are suffering the effects of the drought in their homes. International relief groups are trying to provide them food where they are in order to help them avoid having to abandon their homes in search of food, but they require much more food than they have available to achieve this. They also do not have the logistical capacity to reach all the areas in need.
The drought threatens to extend into 2001. Yet even if there were some good rains, most farmers do not have seeds to plant new crops, having eaten their supplies of seeds to survive. Finding sufficient seeds that are agriculturally appropriate for the region will not be an easy task.
Donor governments, apparently weary after years of providing assistance to uprooted Afghans, have been slow to respond to requests for financial aid and food from UN. Many observers believe that if the drought continues, there could be widespread starvation in some areas of Afghanistan unless there is a very substantial increase in international aid.
Some 10,000 Afghans who fled the fighting in August and September are stranded at the Tajik border. In contravention of international law, the government of Tajikistan has not permitted them to enter. They remain trapped in the cross-fire between Taleban and opposition forces, and little food or other assistance makes its way to them. UNHCR has repeatedly appealed, so far unsuccessfully, to the Tajik government to permit the refugees to enter.
USCR urges donor governments to respond as generously as possible to UN and NGO appeals for food and funds to implement relief and development programs for drought and conflict-affected Afghans. The specter of a massive humanitarian crisis is all too real. There is no time to waste.
The government of Tajikistan should allow the entry of would-be Afghan refugees stranded at its border. Its refusal to do so has placed their lives at great risk.