UN inter-agency mission visits Afghanistan: world's fastest growing crisis of internal displacement

Afghanistan is the fastest growing crisis of internal displacement in the world today,' said Dennis McNamara today at a press conference in Geneva. Mr. McNamara, Special Co-ordinator on Internal Displacement for the Office for the Co-ordination of Humanitarian Affairs, led an assessment mission of the UN Senior Inter-Agency Network on Internal Displacement to various locations inside Afghanistan from 18 to 25 April, 2001. The seven-member inter-agency team, which travelled to Kabul, Herat, and Mazar, was comprised of representatives of FAO, OCHA, UNDP, UNICEF, WHO, UNHCR, and of the NGO community.
'Population movements among Afghans are at crisis levels,' Mr. McNamara said. There are currently 700,000 to 800,000 Afghans who have left their homes since last year due to conflict, drought, or both, with half of a million of them still inside Afghanistan.

He noted that 140,000 displaced are now in Herat, with over 100,000 people in Maslakh camp alone. On average, three hundred families--over 1,500 people--are entering Herat every day in need of help. Due to lack of shelter, families are sleeping in the open.

In Mazar, the vulnerable population was in acute distress and living under deplorable conditions, with few worldly possessions. Some were living in holes in the ground. Because the displaced are spread throughout every province of northern Afghanistan, their dispersion makes rendering adequate assistance extremely difficult.

Mr. McNamara noted the valuable efforts of humanitarian agencies to respond to the current crisis. However, given the magnitude of the crisis, the lack of adequate resources, and the difficult operating environment, there was a need to do more to try and stabilize the growing needs of vulnerable populations.

'Our biggest concern right now,' he said, 'is to respond to the immediate basic needs of the displaced while ensuring assistance is also provided to the impoverished population who remain in their villages and have been divested of most basic assets.' This two-pronged approach, being pursued by the humanitarian agencies on the ground, was aimed at stabilising the local population, including through the provision of basic agricultural inputs such as seeds and tools, so as to pre-empt further displacement. Without this the displacement was likely to spill over into neighbouring countries.

The overall human rights situation in Afghanistan remained a major preoccupation due to the civil war and continued political instability. Protection of displaced populations needed to be more actively addressed, including through strengthened monitoring of vulnerable populations.

Mr. McNamara called for a 'multi-layered response,' including increased aid across the board - shelter, health, food, water and sanitation, and protection. He said that the assistance community immediately needed funds for 10,000 new shelters for the displaced as well as 10,000 tents immediately to fill the gaps, adding that the current appeal for $ 254 million would have to be revised upwards and required urgent support from donors. Given that 85 per cent of Afghanistan's population lives in rural areas, the need for support to the agricultural sector was vital and $ 7 million would be required for seeds and other agricultural inputs. Mr. McNamara noted the urgent need for both the United Nations and NGOs to strengthen their presence inside the country to be able to cope with the escalating crisis.

For further information, please contact the Office of the Special Co-ordinator on Internal Displacement, tel. 41229173111, fax. 41 22 9170020, villalon@un.org or Donato Kiniger-Passigli, OCHA Geneva, tel. 0229172653, mobile : 0794770844