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TITLE: Distributing Relief Goods Among Afghan Refugees |
AUTHOR: |
DATE: February 23, 2001 |
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Khyber Mail RAWA Distributes Relief Goods Among Afghan Refugees S. M. Tahir
PESHAWAR: The Afghan refugees are passing through a critical situation, so its the duty of the world community, especially the Muslim Ummah to help them and to share their wooes. These views were expressed by Saima Kareem spokesperson for Revolutionary Association of the Women of Afghanistan (RAWA), while distributing relief assistance of 800 coverlets to fresh Afghan refugees at Jallozai Camp, on Thursday. She said, "we know that it is not sufficient for them and their requirements is too high but due to financial crunch, we cannot help them more. She denied that some institutions had given assistance to RAWA and said that these funds were collected from individuals. She observes that with the presence of Taliban government, the peace process could be revived because they never bothered to settle the issue. While commenting on NWFP government directive to vacate the area of Nasir Bagh Camp, she termed it highly unjustified and condemned it strongly. She appealed the United Nation Organisation (UNO) to help Afghan refugees in this critical time. She strongly criticsed the behaviours of United States of America and the neighboring countries and demanded to stop interference in Afghanistan immediately. She asked warring factions in Afghanistan to immediately stop infighting and work for negotiated settlement of Afghan issue and pave the way for elected government in Afghanistan. Saima Karim said that RAWA activists would leave no stone unturned in their quest for serving displaced Afghans. END
The News International, February 23, 2001 Desperate Refugees Baton-Charged
NOWSHEHRA: Security personnel at the Jallozai Camp near Peshawar resorted to a light baton-charge when desperate Afghan attacked the vehicles, carrying relief goods for them, eyewitnesses said here on Thursday. Disturbance started when activists of the Revolutionary Association for Women of Afghanistan (RAWA) were distributing relief goods among the newly-arrived refugees at the Jallozai Camp, 25 kilometers from Peshawar. "The goods were limited and not enough for the refugees," explained an official from the camp administration, adding that more than 100 desperate refugees tried to snatch goods when the distribution was in progress. "We had to resort to a light lathi-charge to control the disturbance," said and official of the camp administration. He regretted that private security guards, accompanying the RAWA team beat up refugees very severely and ruthlessly. RAWA activists said the distribution of goods was meant for the families, which had earlier been issued cards. They added: "We had visited the camp earlier and identified the destitute and genuine refugees". Distribution was arranged at the offices of the camp commander, about 100 yards away from the settlement, established for the newly-arrived refugees. "We had just distributed 200 blankets among the women when others rushed into the premises," said a RAWA activists. This followed haphazard distribution without verification of special cards," she added. Rest of the 700 blankets were handed over to the refugees without their identification. RAWA activists were last week refused permission to distribute relief goods at the camp. We had gone with a permission from the higher authorities and it did," explained the activist. END
Khyber Mail February 18, 2001 RAWA Not Allowed to Distribute Relief Assistance S.M. Tahir
PESHAWAR: Activists of Revolutionary Association of Women of Afghanistan were not allowed by authorities concerned to extend relief assistance to fresh displaced Afghans at Jallozai Refugees Camp on Saturday. While talking to this scibe on phone a stockperson for RAWA said that on February 2,2001, Commissioner Afghan Refugees, issued written permission to RAWA's activists to distribute relief assistance among newly-arrived refugees at Akora Khattak, Jallozai and Shamshatoo refugee camps. The spokesperson further informed that on February 17,2001 RAWA's team went to Jallozai refugees camp to distribute 500 blankets among refugees who are immensely suffering due to chilly cold weather. However when RAWA's team reached at Jolazai Refugees camp, official incharge, Allah Dad Durrani, informed them that according to the new policy, RAWA is not allowed to distribute relief assistance to refugees. END
The News International, February 18, 2001 Violence Feared at Jallozai Camp as Security Officials Prevent Distribution of Relief Goods
PESHAWAR: A delegation of Revolutionary Association of Women of Afghanistan (RAWA) wanting to distribute relief goods among newly-arrived Afghan refugees wasn't allowed to do so at the Jallozai camp due to security reasons on Saturday. Several female activist of RAWA, accompanied by reporters and photographers, had reached the camp's administration office along with pick-ups loaded with 500 quilts. But the camp's security incharge said he couldn't guarantee their protection in view of recent incidents of violence in the camp during distribution of relief goods. Reporters who accompanied the RAWA delegation said the organization was in possession of official letters allowing them to visit the Jallozai. New Shamshatoo and Akora Khattak camps for new Afghan refugees. But the security officials at Jallozai expressed their unwillingness to arrange distribution of the RAWA relief goods due to fears of unruly behaviour by the refugees. The makeshift camp at Jallozai, according to estimates by UNHCR officials, in inhabited by over 80,000 refugees. The RAWA team and the accompanying mediamen were, however, driven through the Jallozia camp by its security personnel. They weren't allowed to disembark the vehicles. A few days ago distribution of relief goods by some organization in the Jallozia camp created problems for the security personnel as the refugees fought for assistance and soned the aid workers and the cops. After that, the security incharge of the camp has refused to allow distribution of relief items to avoid trouble. Organisers of several relief bodies have returned disappointed from the camp as the goods brought by them cannot be distributed. One Ehsanullah, who had brought relief goods from Lakki Marwat two weeks ago, said they still haven't been distributed in the camp. He said he would now take these relief goods and hand them over to the Taliban for distribution among internally displaced persons in Afghanistan. Representatives of charity organizations from Punjab also said they were considering giving the relief goods brought by them to the Taliban or to Afghan refugees in New Shamshatoo camp. END
The Nation, February 18, 2001 Relief Goods Supply Hindered by Security Measures Abdul Qadoos
PESHAWAR- The lack of security measures created hindrance in distribution of relief goods, gifted by the Revolutionary Association Women of Afghanistan (RAWA) a amongst the drought and war ravaged Afghan refugees camps in Jallozai camp here on Saturday. The matter came into limelight when the relief aid brought by Revolutionary Association of Afghan Women (RAWA) in Jollzai Camp while another philanthropist Ihsanullah who had brought about 1135 blankets for the shelterless Afghan refugees were waiting for its distribution for last 28 days. The RAWA brought 5oo quilts with the aim to distribute them but the Refugees Village Administrator (RVA) Allah Dad Khan refused to give them security to be distribute the material among the newly arrived Afghan refugees saying that could not provide security to them as refugees are violent. He that United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) and government of Pakistan have banned the distribution of relief till the new policy in this regard. He told that RAWA representative, Saima Karim that they could distribute their donated material among the refugees of other refugees camp like Shamshatoo and Akora Khattak. Another philanthropist who hails from Lakki Marwat district of the NWFP Ihsanullah told the journalists that he had brought 1135 blankets but was not allowed to be distributed it for the last 28 days. He said that due to the security problem now he had decided to send it inside Afghanistan. "In this connection I had already met with the military attache of Afghan Embassy in Islamabad Molvi Abdul Qadeer to hand them over to Taliban for distribution inside the war ravaged Afghanistan," Ihsanullah informed. On that occasion hundreds of refugees reached on the spot to get the relief but failed as the material was not distributed among them. Talking to this scribe, a group the newly arrived refugees said that till the day nothing has been given to them in form of relief. They said that the newly established camps for Afghan refugees have been divided into 33 blocks and relief had been given to the residents of only 6 blocks while the remaining were still lying in open air in this chilly winter. Another elder Afghan Hayatullah who has come from Baghlan province and was waiting for the distribution of relief complained that their families were confronted with hunger as they have no edible things to eat. He said that their family was in dire need of medicine, warm clothes, blankets, and quilts to protect them from winter. He said that they had gave suggestions in connection with the distribution of relief that the relief should be distributed by number but no hailling has been paid to their demands. He appealed to the world community and specially to Muslims to help their Afghan brethren at this critical stage. END Revolutionary Association of the Women of Afghanistan (RAWA) RAWA, P.O.Box 374, Quetta, Pakistan Mobile: 0092-300-551638 Fax: 001-760-2819855 E-mails: rawa@rawa.org, rawa@iname.com END |