Floods and the plight of Afghan refugees

[Pictured: Afghan refugee camp near Peshawar.]
By Farooq Ahmad
August 14, 2010 -- During the last three decades, Afghan people have had to leave their homeland due to civil war and foreign invasions. They began to live in camps set up for them near Peshawar.
During the recent floods in the province of Khyber-Pakhtoonkhwa, the refugee camps in Charsada and Nowsherhra have been completely washed away. The Azakhel refugee camp that housed more than 3000 people has been annihilated by the floods.

This camp stood at the bank of Kabul River near Peshawar. Hundreds of people died and more are buried under the mud. The fortunate ones who survived are forced to live on motorways under open sky. The whole area is infected with the dead bodies of animals and humans and their stench is all around. Government and other relief agencies have completely ignored the Afghan refugees.

UNHCR has provided some tents to a few families only. Afghan women and children are suffering pitiable conditions. They have lost their identity cards, another hurdle in finding a safe place to take shelter. Hundreds of refugees are suffering from diseases and no medical help is available on the roadsides where they are staying.

If no proper food, shelter and medicines are provided immediately, hundreds of women and children will soon die.

[Reprinted from Green Left Weekly. Farooq Ahmad is a member of the Labour Party Pakistan federal executive committee and led an LRC team in Khyber-Pakhtoonkhwa province.]