Nowhere people

By B.Muralidhar Reddy

THE FACTS and figures on the plight of the Afghans make chilling reading. Five million to seven million people (over one-fourth of those who continue to live in the country) face starvation if enough food stocks do not arrive before the onset of winter (in the first week of November).

In a country where the average life expectancy is 40 years and 70 per cent of the population is believed to be mal-nourished, young children and pregnant women are at risk the most. Household food reserves are extremely low with famine-like conditions in some areas, though 85 per cent of the people are dependent on agriculture. Many displaced people in the northern provinces have been eating meals of locusts mixed with animal feed. And in the central regions, hunger has driven many to eat even poisonous grass.

The fate of those who have managed to get out of Afghanistan is little better. A mini sea of blue plastic tents marks the refugee camps along the borders of Pakistan and Iran. It was in camps like these that hundreds had succumbed to the severe winter last year. But they have nowhere else to go, these nowhere people. The UNHCR dole comprises some money, some grain and a blue plastic sheet - and yes, relative safety.

Millions were displaced by a combination of drought and civil war even before September 11 and October 7. But now, all the six countries bordering Afghanistan have sealed the traditional land routes to stop the influx. Two million Afghans have sought refuge in Pakistan and another 1.5 million in Iran. Islamabad has been quoting a figure of three million refugees. This April, in response to allegations of neglect of Afghan refugees, the Pakistan Government had accused the UNHCR of contributing less than a dollar per refugee a year!

All international aid workers left Afghanistan after September 11. While the World Food Programme local staff continue distributing food in some locations, many may be forced to leave their duty stations if the situation continues to deteriorate.

Some agencies of the U.N. and NGOs deemed it necessary to make a passionate appeal to the U.S.-led alliance for a halt to bombardment to reach food and other emergency supplies inside Afghanistan. The appeal has been turned down.

Before the air strikes began, the UNHCR and other agencies had been waging a losing battle in getting aid for Afghanistan because of `donor fatigue'. There is a change in the attitude of the world after September 11. Country after country is lining up with pledges of dollar support. Pledges remain to be translated into action.

Pakistan and Iran are clearly suffering from what is being called `host fatigue'. The same Afghans who were welcomed in the 1980s with open arms are today viewed with suspicion. They are accused of drug-peddling, thefts and even prostitution. The tendency on the part of the host countries has been to confine them to isolated squalid camps.

Driven out of their land by hunger, drought, internecine war and now American air raids, they have no one to turn to and nowhere to go. So we have the world's largest group of refugees - a proud people displaced from their land by economics and war. Life in the camps is, as always, tough and option-less. The constant inflow makes the situation further unmanageable, especially hygiene.

The only job available is spinning wool on traditional hand-held spindles. Local contractors pay 15 Pakistani rupees for spinning a kg of wool but this is not a job one person can finish in a day. Despite the pittance paid, people hardly refuse the job. Often it is the only income in a family whose size ranges from five to seven. They cannot seek jobs outside of the camps and there are few options available inside.

But still the Afghans continue to throng Pakistan's borders as Iran has completely sealed its own. Now that Pakistan too has decided to close the traditional routes, a new racket in smuggling people has come into operation. A safe passage through the rugged stretches of the border to Pakistan reportedly costs 1000 Pakistani rupees. For a family of six it is a neat $100.

Today, along with operation `Infinite Justice', aid is flowing in for the ordinary Afghans from all over the world. But will it reach them? Or will they continue to be mere statistics, with the dubious distinction of being the world's largest mass of nowhere people for the longest time. They have seen many experiments with governance over the past three decades. Perhaps the present generation of Afghans remembers little else other than war, fratricide, drought and deprivation.

As the U.S. and other players such as Pakistan plot over installation of a new political setup in Afghanistan to fill the vacuum likely to be created with the expected `collapse' of the Taliban, will the hapless Afghans have any say in the matter?

Reports from Peshawar talk about hectic parleys among the erstwhile ruling elite of Afghanistan to cobble together a structure acceptable to all those who matter in the post-Taliban scenario. Most of these self-styled leaders fancy themselves as future Prime Ministers. Obviously the ordinary Afghans do not figure in their scheme of things.

A spiritual leader of Afghanistan, currently residing in Peshawar, has called a meeting of leaders to gauge the mood and move towards the post-Taliban phase. It is to be seen how many ordinary Afghans will be present on the occasion and more important how many will get a chance to voice their views.

The former Afghan King, Zahir Shah, currently in exile in Rome, entered into a grand deal with the Northern Alliance a few days ago for convening a loya jigra, the traditional council of tribal chiefs, to decide on the future. But the move did not make much progress because of reservations among several vested interests.

The U.S., Pakistan, Iran, Russia, the Central Asian Republics, and even India, want to have a say in the future political setup of Afghanistan. As the humming and hawing continues, Pakistan appears to have finally conceded a role for the ex-king and even some elements of the Northern Alliance in the new setup. America on its part is willing to take `moderate elements' of the Taliban on board. Others continue to sulk.

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