Harsh winter: Balkh IDPs struggling to hold on to life

MAZAR-I-SHARIF (Pajhwok): Demanding urgent assistance, internally displaced people in northern Balkh province are struggling to hold on to life as they are living in summer tents in the harsh winter.

These poverty-stricken families moved to Balkh province from different provinces due to the past conflict and now they are facing challenging living conditions in their tents.

Amrullah, an IDP, said he was displaced three years ago from Faryab province and currently he lives in Abu Dujana camp in Mazar-i-Sharif city.

Amrullah asked the government and charities to help his family because he was unemployed and the winter cold was threatening the lives of his family members.

Faiz Mohammad, another IDP, said the displaced families had lost all their belongings and migrated here to save their lives, but now they led a miserable life in tents.

He asked the government to send them back to their own areas or give them assistance in the camp.

Sayed Yousuf, another IDP, said their children had fallen sick because of cold and urged the government to save their lives.

Khwaja Khairullah, the head of Omed Farda IDPs camp said some of the IDPs had returned to their homes, while others were distributed land plots but the IDPs could not afford to build houses for themselves.

Local officials confirmed the problems being faced by the tent-dwellers.

Maulav iBor Jan Nayeb, provincial Refugees and Repatriation Department head said the officials of his department had held meetings with some NOGs to help the IDPs in winter season.

He also urged traders and welfare institutions to help the IDPs.

According to the Refugees and Repatriation Department, a total of 50,000 people had been displaced to Balkh province during the previous wars in the country and 20,000 of them had returned to their areas.

aw/ma