Q&A: Afghanistan's humanitarian crisis

There were an estimated 3.5 million Afghan refugees in Pakistan and Iran from before September 11th. Many thousands have arrived in the last year fleeing drought and hunger. There are reports of movements of people – fleeing the major cities. But it is unclear if they are trying to get out of Afghanistan and are prevented, or if they are going to rural areas. There is a slow stream of new refugees coming to Pakistan and Iran. The tales from the new arrivals are of hideous abuse and obstruction on the roads, and only the wealthiest are able to buy their way out. The bandits are having a field day, but it is not clear if there is organized obstruction of people trying to flee Afghanistan by the Taliban authorities.

But we also have to be clear: there are not large and well-equipped refugee camps, waiting for new arrivals. The sites so far identified are just patches of desert without water or shade and the aid agencies no longer have access to assess or prepare these sites for arrivals. If there is a mass exodus there is no capacity to receive these new arrivals today.

6) Have Islamic charities played a large role in the humanitarian efforts so far?

Afghan and Islamic charities have played a large role in the past in delivering assistance to Afghan people inside Afghanistan. At the moment it is impossible to access Afghanistan and services to Afghan refugees already in Pakistan are severely limited. No one is doing anything meaningful at this moment.

7) Do you support the notion that the US can engage in a war against the Taliban and Al Qaeda, but not the Afghan people?

Any war will end up killing people – and some of these people may die unnecessarily. It is not our responsibility to comment on the war, just or unjust. War is a fact of current human society. It is also beyond our understanding to say how the war should be fought – what are legitimate targets, what are the best methods for fighting such a war and how to win a war. We are not soldiers.

However we do believe it is critical to respect human life and dignity, even in war. And while good intentions may suggest actions such as food drops, they may actually do more harm than good and restrict possibilities for future, more substantial and more meaningful, action on behalf of innocent and suffering people. It is our responsibility to demand that warring parties use proportional force, respect the impartial nature of humanitarian assistance, and avoid co-opting humanitarian actions for their own political and military aims.

8) How can ordinary citizens help? Are there ways to contribute to the relief efforts besides sending money?

I think, first and foremost, it is important for us as citizens to stay informed, to try and hear different sides of any story, and to try and come to an independent analysis. It is most critical not to fall easy victims to the considerable powers of state rhetoric in war. We must have the ability, in open and free societies, to question our governments – even when we believe their aims and methods are justified. So play your role and participate as responsible citizens.

Secondly, we need committed volunteers prepared to go and work for us in humanitarian situations around the world. These volunteers forward the notion that it is possible to stand for the dignity of all human beings, thereby counteracting the logic of terror and political or ethnic division. I hope that our volunteers feel they are doing some small thing that is within their power to stand for a different understanding of humanity.

If it is impossible to volunteer and go abroad, then it is always possible to organize discussion groups, debates, or support groups. Such groups can be in contact with MSF or any other active humanitarian agency to ask how they can help or support with time and organization.

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