The situation in camps housing displaced families in western Afghanistan is deteriorating with needs outstripping supplies, the United Nations said Friday.
The six camps for displaced persons in Herat now hold a total of 110,000 people, with 65,000 in Maslakh.
"On average about 1,000 displaced persons are arriving each day, fleeing drought, conflict, or both," a statement by the office of the UN coordinator for Afghanistan said.
"Various governments, including the US, Norway, and Japan, have carried out airlifts of supplies to the area, but need is outstripping supply."
It said the UN regional coordinator for the western region had noted too few tents were available for incoming families, and relief workers were coping with this shortfall by assigning two families to one tent.
"When I ask people in the camps why some people leave a village, they tell me that those who stay behind cannot afford the cost of transport to get out," said the UN regional coordinator’s statement.
The sanitary conditions were poor and although 1,200 latrines were under construction, there would be a shortfall of more than 2,000 latrines in the Maslakh camp alone, it said.
Since last year, as many as 800,000 Afghans have left their homes because of conflict and drought and most are internally displaced inside Afghanistan -- ISLAMABAD (AFP)
