Published on 31 May 2016
“My children will die this winter” – Afghanistan’s growing displacement crisis and the failed promise of a national IDP policy.
The intensifying conflict in Afghanistan has taken a devastating toll on ordinary Afghans, hundreds of thousands of whom have been forced to flee their home. In the space of little more than four years, the number of those internally displaced by conflict has more than doubled in the country and today stands at more than one million. With levels of violence showing no sign of abating, there is every reason to believe that this trend will only continue in the near future.
Amnesty International recognises that the Afghan government is facing enormous challenges in terms of the worsening security situation and the flagging economy. Endorsing the IDP Policy was a significant and welcome step, and the implementation of such a comprehensive policy was never going to be a fast or straightforward process. The lack of progress to date is, however, alarming, in particular at a time when the number of internally displaced has exploded. The Afghan government and its international allies must act now to respond to the growing displacement crisis.
The intensifying conflict in Afghanistan has taken a devastating toll on ordinary Afghans, hundreds of thousands of whom have been forced to flee their home. In the space of little more than four years, the number of those internally displaced by conflict has more than doubled in the country and today stands at more than one million. With levels of violence showing no sign of abating, there is every reason to believe that this trend will only continue in the near future.
Amnesty International recognises that the Afghan government is facing enormous challenges in terms of the worsening security situation and the flagging economy. Endorsing the IDP Policy was a significant and welcome step, and the implementation of such a comprehensive policy was never going to be a fast or straightforward process. The lack of progress to date is, however, alarming, in particular at a time when the number of internally displaced has exploded. The Afghan government and its international allies must act now to respond to the growing displacement crisis.
