Plight of IDPs/refugees on Tajik border grave

While strong efforts by UN agencies to provide relief are in place, the plight of some 10,000 Afghan IDPs/refugees stranded on the banks and islands of the Pyandj River bordering Tajikistan remains grave, UN officials in Tajikistan told IRIN on Thursday. Asked to describe a situation where Afghans suffer from a lack of food, an absence of proper shelter and drinkable water and where cases of diarrhoea, dysentery and other illnesses have been reported, UNHCR national programme officer Gulnora Ibragimova in the capital Dushanbe said: “The situation is quite serious. Information from the area is extremely limited, however, Russian border forces in the area say the situation is deteriorating fast.” Ibragimova’s comments come in the wake of a UN report issued earlier on Thursday which said despite several requests by the UN system to allow the 10,000 refugees into Tajikistan, no decision had yet been taken by the Tajik authorities. UN sources indicated that the displaced wished to leave the islands for the safety of Tajikistan. In fact, on 21 December, UNHCR’s Commissioner Sadako Ogata, sent a letter to the Tajikistan president asking him to admit the refugees who are at the Tajik border and in desperate need of help. Of particular concern is the fate of 30 sick people who are in need of immediate hospitalisation. According to Thursday’s report, recent information from the area indicated active movement of opposing forces in areas close to the border. It added on 3 January, skirmishes, involving heavy artillery and automatic arms, were reported between the forces of the Northern Alliance and the Taliban in the Northeastern part of Afghanistan near the Tajik border. Gulnora confirmed this fact saying: “Due to possible military activities in the area after 27 December, we were advised by UN designated officials not to conduct any more mission assessments given the security risk there.”