05/24/2002

Two women stand by a truck in Afghanistan. The voluntary return of unexpectedly large numbers of Afghan refugees in recent months is heartening, but many refugees and internally displaced people (IDPs) are going home without the support they need to rebuild their villages and their lives. Relief agencies working in the provinces describe scenes of destitution—no food, no schools, no clinics, poor roads and no employment prospects. Many refugees and IDPs are hesitating to return home until they receive the support they need to help them recover from a long drought. Assistance must be increased to make returns succeed. Those who don't want to return now must be sustained in camps until conditions warrant going home.