‘We lost everything twice’: Afghan returnees struggle after earthquake

After eight years as a refugee in Pakistan, Nawab Din returned to his hometown of Wadir, high in the mountains of Afghanistan’s eastern Kunar province, with a four-month stay.

He resides on his own farmland in a tent today. His house was completely destroyed by the earthquake, which has decimated the lives of thousands of people in this area.

The 55-year-old farmer said at his cousin’s shop in the nearby village of Noorgal, “We are living in tent camps now.” Our homes were dated, and neither were standing. During the earthquake, large boulders slammed into the mountain tops, destroying them all.

Din’s conflict perfectly captures the double disaster that many Afghans are facing. According to the International Organization for Migration (IOM), more than four million people have come back from Iran and Pakistan since September 2023.

More than 5, 000 homes were destroyed and 2,200 people died as a result of the earthquake’s, which added to the already-profound economic crisis.

“We lost everything in Pakistan, and now we’ve lost everything here,” Din continues.

After fleeing his village in Afghanistan eight years ago, ISIL (ISIS) fighters told him to join them or leave. He had been living in Daska, a city in Sialkot District of Pakistan, for eight years.

He explains that he was forced to immigrate to Pakistan and that he refrained from joining ISIL.

His exile came to an abrupt conclusion this year as the Pakistani government continues to crack down on illegal foreigners across the country.

He describes how Pakistani police took him and his family to a camp where they would be deported after raiding his home. He claims that when we were told our time there was up, we were forced to leave and that we were disappointed when we returned from Pakistan.

Before returning to our village, we had to spend two nights at the Torkham border crossing until the Afghan government had approved our stay.

Kunar experiences this struggle in equal measure. The 58-year-old Sadat Khan, who was renting a home until the earthquake, occupies a spot close to Noorgal, in the village of Barabat.

Khan’s wife and seven children could no longer depend on him because his health was deteriorating and he could no longer find employment. What little left for him has been destroyed by the earthquake.

“I also had a poor life in Pakistan.” He tells Al Jazeera, “My entire family depended on me because I was the only one who could work.” “We don’t know where the next meal will be,” the statement read. No jobs are available in this area. Additionally, my lungs are struggling. If I put in more effort, I’ll have trouble breathing.

He claims that there hasn’t been a response to his family’s request for a tent in the local authorities.

He claims that he requested a tent to be installed here after going to the authorities. I asked someone to give me a room for my children’s sake because we haven’t received anything. Now that the winter is upon us, my uncle had mercy on me and allowed me to stay in one of his homes.

One crisis out of many

The most obvious of the crises that Iran and Pakistan’s returnees are in is the earthquake, which is only the most obvious.

Our region is barren, and there is no stream or river close to the village, Din claims. Rainfall is a major factor in our farming and daily lives, and we haven’t seen much of it lately. Other people enquire as to how we can survive there because of the severe water shortage.

After the earthquake, nutritionist Dr. Farida Safi, who works at a field hospital run by Islamic Relief in Diwa Gul valley, claims malnutrition is a major issue.

She explains that the majority of those who have been affected by the earthquake have food deficiencies, most notably as a result of their village’s poor diet and access to nutrition. “Many malnourished children need to be treated,” said the doctor.

According to the plan, the Kunar government has begun building a new town that will include 382 residential plots, according to Kunar’s governor, Mawlawi Qudratullah.

The Ministry of Urban Development and Housing’s national programs include this one in Khas Kunar district, which aims to provide Afghan returnees with permanent housing. However, it’s not known how long these new homes will take construction, or whether or not returnees will receive farmland.

According to Qudratullah, “it will be for those who don’t have any land or home in this province.” And, in addition to the earthquake response, this project has already begun.

Such promises seem distant to those who reside in or are close to the remnants of their old homes. Nawab Din is consumed in Noorgal by the earthquake’s immediate fear of aftershocks and uncertainty regarding what will happen next.

He says, “I don’t know if the government will move us down to the plains or whether they will help us rebuild.” His voice is exhausting. However, I worry that as aftershocks continue to strike, sometimes so strong that the tents will shake, we will be forced to stay in camps.

Source: Aljazeera