BAMYAN CITY (Pajhwok): A number of cave-dwellers in central Bamyan province complain about the lack of basic social services, with local officials pledging to ensure permanent shelters and other facilities for them.
These cave-dwellers say clean drinking water, electricity and toilets are among the basic needs they lack access to and urge the authorities to address their issues.
Aziz, one of the troglodytes, told Pajhwok Afghan News they had been deprived of fundamental human rights and social services.
He said: “Most cave inhabitants have to defecate in the desert or some other open area in the absence of toilets, something that causes environmental pollution and the spread of diseases, especially among children.”
Gul Chehra, another cave resident, said they fetched water from a contaminated area. She added the water was often polluted and unfit for drinking. The consumption of the water in case of need the cave-people problems, including diseases.
The cave-dweller complained about lack of access to humanitarian aid and said: “There are many problems and most of aid distributed by government institutions and charitable organisations does not reach us.”
On the other hand, Dr. Mohammad, an internal medicine specialist, says the use of polluted water causes many diseases, especially diarrhea, in children. In some cases, diarrhea leads to the death of children.
He called diarrhea one of the most common diseases caused by the consumption of polluted water, and led to intestinal inflammation, severe abdominal pain, vomiting and bloody diarrhea.
Hamza Yousafi, a tourism expert at the Information Department, said the area comprised of caves was one of the tightly guarded and historically important parts of the city under the master plan for the province. No one has the right to live or build homes in the area.
According to him, forcing people to live in caves has caused the destruction of ancient sites and creating water supply networks there is not allowed.
On the other hand, Director of Refugees and Repatriation Maulvi Fazl Omar Rahmani said relevant departments had formed a committee to address the problems of cave-dwellers. On the basis of a survey, about 144 families living in caves have been identified as needy.
The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), he informed, was building a permanent shelter for needy cave dwellers by creating a settlement based on a request from the departments concerned.
The settlement had an area of 30 acres and a permanent shelter would be built for each family at a cost of 4,000 dollars, he added.
With the construction of the houses, a school, a clinic and other facilities would be provided for them by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, the director concluded.
sa/mud
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