11/19/2002

2 million Afghan refugees and displaced persons have returned to their homes this year in one of the largest, and fastest, refugee returns in history. Six hundred thousand of these returnees may have gone to Kabul. This has swelled the population of a city that lacks adequate water, sanitation, health facilities, schools, and virtually every other public facility. Moreover, large parts of the city were destroyed during a civil war in the mid 1990s.

Following is the partial text of an interview with one refugee returnee, "Gul Mohammed," who fled to Pakistan six years ago and returned to Kabul in April 2002. His story is typical of many returnees interviewed by Refugees International on November 14 and 15. This story and others illustrate the need for continued humanitarian aid plus opportunities for employment to enable returnees to earn a livelihood.

"I had a shop in Kabul, but the Taliban destroyed my shop and made it impossible for us [the Tajiks] to stay in Kabul. My friend worked for the government, but he was dismissed from his job. My uncle lost his leg to a land mine. We went together to Pakistan and lived in a refugee camp near Peshawar.

"We were very happy when the Taliban were overthrown. Fifty families in the refugee camp in Pakistan came back in a group to Afghanistan. We thought the government would give us a place to live when we returned. But there were no houses waiting for us when we arrived, and we had to find a place to live and we had very little money. An Afghan businessman offered to let us live free of charge in these old houses and shops for a few months, but he plans to build a new market on this land soon and we will have to leave.

"We received $150 per family and some food from UNHCR when we arrived in Afghanistan. Most of that we used to pay for the bus which brought us from Pakistan. Since then the only aid we have received is three blankets, one pot, and 2 jerry cans per family from the Red Crescent Society. Many foreigners have visited us and said they were going to help us, but they have never come back. One foreigner said he would give us 1,000 Pakistan rupees to photograph our women, but after he took the pictures he only gave us 100 rupees [about $1.70]. We have signed papers from organizations that said we received food and other aid -- but the papers were false.

"The men were able to find a little work making bricks, but that is finished now for the winter. We depend on the little money our children make shining shoes and washing cars and the food they can find in the garbage near the markets. A rich man gives each of us a piece of bread every day, but he will do it only for one month. Twenty-three days have passed and his gift of bread will soon finish.

"My wife and I and six children live in this room. All the other families also live in one-room houses. We must go to a well on the corner for water; we have no electricity although there are streetlights and shops nearby which have electricity. Some of the children go to school. But some must work, as the money they make is our only income. We sold some things when we got to Kabul but now we have nothing left to sell.

"If we get sick we go to the Red Crescent, and the doctors will give us a prescription for medicine. My daughter is sick and I have the prescription, but I have no money to buy the medicine. A four-year old girl died last week of the cold.

"If things do not get better soon, we will go to UNHCR to demonstrate for food or for help to go back to Pakistan. We cannot stay here if we do not find work soon. And the winter is coming. The snow is already on the mountains and the owner will make us leave these houses. We are grateful for his help, but we have nowhere to go."