Editor in Chief: Moh. Reza Huwaida Friday, April 19th, 2024

People left to starve and die

With the billions of dollars of aids poured in Afghanistan, problems of Afghan people have only multiplied. The ten year international efforts have resulted in a dysfunctional government sinking in the rampant corruption. Against the hefty statements by NATO and Afghan government, security has deteriorated up to an extent that people have started moving to relatively peaceful areas due to threats by Taliban back in their home towns.

Amnesty International said Thursday that every day, 400 people join the ranks of half a million displaced by fighting and natural disaster in Afghanistan and the country's government has been hampering international efforts to help them. Hearing that Karzai's government is hampering international efforts to help out those internally displaced people is quite astonishing and at the same a regret. If you cannot help out the people solve their problems, at least allow others.

The upsetting report by Amnesty International said more people have fled their homes as fighting has spread to areas of the country that had been relatively peaceful. According to the report, Afghan government has little political will or resources to help them find adequate shelter, food and water.

"Many are left to starve and die, even in the capital Kabul," the report said. The Amnesty report comes at times when according to reports about dozens of children living in camps have lost their lives due to coldest weather in Afghanistan in 15 years and lack of medical facilities.

Over the last three decades, war and conflicts have caused Afghanistan to leave their countries. Today millions of Afghans are living in neighboring and other countries of the world. After Taliban government was toppled in 2001, a major portion of Afghan population leaving abroad, returned to their countries.

But security deteriorated and Afghans started escaping the poor security and economic condition in their country. The numbers of people displaced internally are also on rise. As we near 2014 and ambiguities about future of Afghanistan increase, the problems of Afghans will further increase.

Now is the time to tackle these issues. Broad-based reforms in Afghan government, elimination of corruption, bettering security and creating employment opportunities can be counted as measures that can largely help Afghanistan not to reverse.