Afghanistan: deteriorating displacement crisis requires
urgent attention and increased resources
KABUL / GENEVA (20 October 2016) – A United Nations
expert on internally displaced persons (IDPs), Chaloka Beyani, today called on
the Government of Afghanistan to intensify its efforts to meet the needs of
hundreds of thousands of IDPs as a deteriorating security situation leads to
dire warnings of massive new displacement.
At the end of a follow-up visit* to the country, Mr.
Beyani also urged the international community “to remain consistent humanitarian
and development partners at this critical time.”
The UN Special Rapporteur on the human rights of
internally displaced persons expressed grave concern over escalating conflict
and IDP figures. In the first ten months of 2016, according to UN agencies,
over 323,000 Afghans were internally displaced across the country in areas
accessible to humanitarian actors alone, continuing an upward trend witnessed
over the last four years.
“Warnings by humanitarian partners suggest that many more
IDPs could be displaced by the end of the year, yet attention and resources
allocated to their needs seem to be waning rather than increasing in line with
the growing challenges and need for durable solutions,” he stated.
“The displacement picture in Afghanistan is changing as
the conflict evolves and intensifies,” Mr. Beyani explained. “Displacement is
becoming more protracted for more people as the security situation has led many
to make the difficult decision not to return to their homes.”
In that regard, the rights expert called on the
Government and its international humanitarian and development partners to
continue emergency responses, while they should also dedicate more attention
and resources “to finding development-based sustainable solutions for those in
protracted displacement.”
Mr. Beyani, who visited IDP locations around Kabul, Herat
and Mazar-e-Sharif during his fact-finding visit, met with numerous IDP
communities, both relatively newly displaced and those who have been displaced
for several years.
“During my ten-day mission, IDPs described to me their
experiences of displacement, sometimes multiple times, due to conflict and
insecurity. Many thousands live in dire conditions and face abject poverty on
the margins of urban centres, often with little or no long-term assistance,” he
said. “They described their priorities as access to land, improved housing,
education facilities, also for girls, healthcare clinics, water and sanitation,
and livelihoods.”
“The onset of winter will bring additional challenges for
already vulnerable IDPs while resources to support them are dwindling,” the
Special Rapporteur warned. “In September 2016, the UN issued a Flash Appeal for
US$ 150 million to meet urgent needs, including winter assistance packages, by
the end of the year. I urge the donor community to respond generously and
rapidly to that call.”
The expert pointed out that the commitment of donors,
partners and the Government of Afghanistan to improving the lives of Afghans
through the Brussels Conference held in October 2016 has provided a positive
momentum. “I hope, and I encourage partners to ensure, that the funding and
national initiatives within this framework for development fully include IDPs
and their hosting communities who require both immediate and longer-term
assistance,” he added.
The Special Rapporteur noted that many IDPs lack National
ID cards or ‘Tazkira’, which restricts their access to services and justice,
and education for their children. “It is no exaggeration to speak of a lost
generation of displaced Afghan children deprived of education since children
constitute about 56 per cent of the displaced population,” he stated.
He praised the Government for demonstrating the political
will to address the IDP situation. However, a National IDP Policy, while a
positive step, remains largely unimplemented in practice. National institutions
charged with IDP responses lack resources and capacity to fulfill their
functions. The influx of tens of thousands of Afghan returnees from Pakistan
has further increased pressure on the Government and its international partners
to resolve the situation of other vulnerable groups.
The Special Rapporteur, who visited the country for the
second time at the invitation of the authorities, thanked the Government for
its cooperation with his mandate as well as UN and other national and
international partners. He will produce a comprehensive report and
recommendations for presentation to the Human Rights Council in June 2017.
(*) Check the Special Rapporteur’s full end-of-mission
statement:
http://www.ohchr.org/EN/NewsEvents/Pages/DisplayNews.aspx?NewsID=20712&LangID=E
ENDS
Mr. Chaloka Beyani is a Professor of International Law at
the London School of Economics and was appointed Special Rapporteur on the
human rights of internally displaced persons by the Human Rights Council in
September 2010. Special Procedures, the largest body of independent experts in
the UN Human Rights system, is the general name of the Council’s independent
fact-finding and monitoring mechanisms. Special Procedures mandate-holders are
independent human rights experts appointed by the Human Rights Council to
address either specific country situations or thematic issues in all parts of
the world. They are not UN staff and are independent from any government or
organization. They serve in their individual capacity and do not receive a
salary for their work. Learn more, log on to: http://www.ohchr.org/EN/Issues/IDPersons/Pages/IDPersonsIndex.aspx
UN Human Rights, country page - Afghanistan:
http://www.ohchr.org/EN/Countries/AsiaRegion/Pages/AFIndex.aspx
For more information and media requests, please contact
Mr. Graham Fox (+41 22 917 9640 / gfox@ohchr.org) or write to idp@ohchr.org.
You can access this press release at:
http://www.ohchr.org/EN/NewsEvents/Pages/DisplayNews.aspx?NewsID=20716&LangID=E
For media inquiries related to other UN independent
experts:
Xabier Celaya, UN Human Rights – Media Unit (+ 41 22 917
9383 / xcelaya@ohchr.org)
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