Afghanistan Times
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With lament, the number of displaced people due to violence has dramatically doubled considering past years. According to Amnesty International’s last year’s report, a staggering 1.2 million people were internally displaced in Afghanistan, a dramatic increase from some 500,000 in 2013. In 2017 we have also witnessed several fights in numerous provinces, adding to this numbers which make it very high. It is a matter of deep concern as numbers of Internally Displaced Person (IDPs) are rising, and we want our security institutions to provide facilities to the IDPs and restore security in the restive provinces. Since we are at advent of winter, so the IDPs, especially the children could lose their lives due to freezing weather. These people should not be forgotten victims of war who have fled their homes but remained displaced in their own country. The plight of these people must not be ignored, and in fastest move assistance should be provided to them as they deal with upcoming winter properly, and lose none of their families members, which children and elders are more prone to this disaster. In this winter, no IDPs should be victim of chilly weather, and beside government international organization should also help these people before it is too late. Every year the situation has getting worse for IDPs with less aid and essentials like food and shelters availability. There was a new National IDP Policy launched in 2014 that could be a lifeline to those displaced but has hardly been implemented at all—stymied by alleged corruption, lack of capacity in the related officials. Almost three years, but this policy has yet seen the daylight. Moreover, IDPs lack access to basic health care facilities. At the absence of government hospitals or clinics, they are often forced to seek private health care that they cannot afford, eventually ending with catastrophe. They are in tough situation. Over the past few months, the Afghan security forces have managed to retake a number of areas that previously fallen to the Taliban hand, but the resettlement provided challenging for people who fled war-hit regions—especially in Kunduz. To escape war, Chahardarah district of northern Kunduz province, is one of such example that hundreds of families fled their homes and added to the miseries of IDP. A vast majority of these IDPs couldn’t make to return to their homes due to fear of violence. Ghulam Mohammad 47 is one affected resident from Chahardarah said they can’t return home as they fear ongoing airstrikes will put their live in danger. It is time that the government should pay more heed to IDPs as they have legal right to have access to health, to shelter, to food, and all other needs. They have displaced because of war and now they are in dire need, especially during winter as they trap more in uncertainty. This is not responsibility of the government only, but our traders could also play a significant role in this regard.
