Afghan town sees increase in widows

A small village in Afghanistan, Bunyat, has been dubbed the “widows village,” The Associated Press reported Monday. Bunyat, which lies on the border with Iran, is home to 1,000 families and 350 widows.

The high number of male causalities in the village is the legacy of both the years of war in Afghanistan and the lucrative business of drug smuggling. As violence and instability persists, many Afghans are turning to the trafficking of opium and heroin to provide for their families.

“Most of the young people in this village smuggle drugs,” Mohammad, a smuggler, said. “These people are poor. There is no water here. They can't grow anything, so they have to smuggle drugs.” The business of smuggling brings in about $200 a pound for the trafficker; a sum of money that far exceeds the $70 a month earned by teachers and police officers. Mohammad claims that smugglers commonly carry 20 to 40 pounds of concentrated heroin for a profit of $8,000.

The smuggling of Afghan heroin has led to a dramatic rise in addictions among Iranians, leading the Iranian police to actively pursue traffickers. While the stated Iranian policy is to simply detain smugglers, many confrontations lead to violence.

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Sudanese refugees at risk under new Israeli plan

The Israeli government has instituted a new plan for dealing with refugees and asylum seekers who are in search of a safe haven from the continued violence and instability in Sudan, IRIN reported Wednesday. Experts say that the new plan puts refugees and asylum seekers from Africa at risk.

With the implementation of the new plan, Israel will force “infiltrators” to return to Egypt and would deny any asylum claims made by those crossing the border into Israel. Security forces have been ordered to arrest and deport all persons crossing the border from Egypt.

International rights groups such as Amnesty International have expressed concern over the plan. AI emphasized that the policy allows the government “to expel everyone in one sweeping move” rather than examining “each refugee claim carefully.”

Many refugees and asylum seekers have fled Egypt to escape ongoing discrimination. Egypt is also known for sending back refugees to their home countries prematurely. “Life is impossible for Sudanese like me in Cairo,” said Nadin, who had been discriminated against due to her dark skin.

“We are not asking for anything, just our basic refugee rights, and maybe a little help from the state,” said Nader, a refugee who had entered into Israel and will be affected by the new policy.

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Jarai men granted bail in refugee assistance case

Three men accused of human trafficking for assisting Montagnard asylum seekers escape Viet Nam have been granted bail, The Cambodian Daily reported Thursday.

On Wednesday, a provincial judge granted the three Jarai villagers bail, which must now be approved by the prosecutor. The men have been detained since April 23 on allegations of aiding a group of Montagnards escape Viet Nam.

Ny Chandy, attorney for Legal Aid of Cambodia, fears that the accused will face an unjust extension of jail time if the bail ruling is appealed. The maximum sentence for human trafficking is six months in prison.

Afghan children killed in coalition strike

Seven children are dead as a result of an air strike conducted by U.S.-led coalition forces in the Paktika province on the Afghan border with Pakistan, BBC News reported today. The targeted compound was said to be a point of refuge for al-Qaeda militants.

A statement by coalition forces cited “credible intelligence” that al-Qaeda members had taken shelter in a compound located in Zarghun Shah, however, no mention was made as to whether the intelligence pointed out the existence of a mosque and a school in which civilians were located.

This tragedy comes as U.S.-led forces face sharp criticisms due to the heightened number of civilian causalities. President Hamid Karzai has released various statements calling on the coalition forces to act more responsibly as a means of reducing such civilian deaths amid a growing Taliban influence in the country.

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Harsh conditions for detainees in Cambodian prison

The lawyer for three men awaiting trial for human trafficking has requested a cell change due to conditions of “punishment and torture,” The Cambodia Daily reports.

The three suspects are accused of aiding Montagnard asylum seekers and have been detained at Ratanakkiri Provincial Prison since April 23. Counsel for the suspects described the cell as a five-by-five meter space with 16 inmates and only small holes in the ceiling for air. The prison was built in 1985 and has been used for holding political dissidents. “It affects their health and human rights – dark prisons should not be allowed. I wrote a letter to the governor to help build a prison, or at least build windows,” Ny Chandy, counsel for the suspects, said.

The suspects were arrested on April 20 and accused of taking money from the Montagnards in return for aiding their effort to reach United Nations refugee officials for protection. Apparently, the men accepted $125 to buy food and supplies for the Montagnards as they waited for the U.N. to place them under protection in the forests of Cambodia. The U.N. human rights representative in Cambodia, Henrik Stenman, said that the agency was continuing to monitor the cases of the 3 detainees.

Pen Bonar, the adhoc provisional coordinator, added that “there are no standards for keeping prisoners, and there is not enough air coming in.” Conditions in Ratanakkiri Prison have been the focus of heavy criticism by NGOs since 2002.

IDP and refugee crsis in Iraq

The reality of the number of internally displaced people (IDP) in Iraq represents the largest crisis of such magnitude since 1948. The response of the international community, up to this point, has been insufficient to meet the urgent need for humanitarian assistance. There are a total of 2 million IDPs and 2 million Iraqi refugees in Syria, Jordan, Lebanon, Egypt and Iran. The majority of these refugees have sought refuge in Syria and Jordan despite increasing tension and lack of governmental interest in providing public services.

Despite rhetorical commitments to the refugee crisis, the 700,000-1 million Iraqi refugees in Jordan are refused access to public services on a practical level. While the Iraqi refugees in Syria have had access to public services up until this point, the 800,000 to 1.5 million refugees are starting to create tension within the Syrian government. The Syrians were previously very gracious with their support for the Iraqis as a sign of Arab solidarity, however, this is certain to change as the crisis in Iraq escalates and creates more refugees. The increasing poverty among Iraqi refugees also creates tension due to increased passport requirements by neighboring countries to ensure the ‘visitors’, as the Jordanian government refers to them, do not permanently relocate. Analysts also fear that the increased sectarian violence could, in fact, worsen if heavy arms make their way into factional conflicts. The likelihood of the sectarian violence spreading outside of Iraq is probable, especially if no additional actions are taken. As barriers for IDPs continue to increase and violence increases, the crisis is only exacerbated. Yielding an increase in IDPs and refugees would most likely cause Syria to halt access to public services by Iraqis.

For more information on the Iraqi refugee crisis, visit Refugee International here.

Information on UNHCR missions for Iraqi refugees, click here.

Afghan, Pakistani forces continue to clash along border

For the second consecutive day, Afghan and Pakistani forces collided along their shared border near Teri Mangal, an Afghan town, The Associated Press reported yesterday. This area, governed by neither Afghanistan nor Pakistan, has been the site of recent clashes due to the attempted erection of a Pakistani security fence along the harsh border terrain.

Although both sides claim a peaceful resolution to the border dispute, the existence of Pashtuns on either side of the border presents a challenge due to apparent ethnic divides with the Afghan people.

The clash comes amidst a meeting in Pakistan between Rahmatullah Rahmat, an Afghan governor; U.S. military advisors; and Pakistani officials. Although the assailants are unknown, this border region is notorious for Taliban activity.

For the full article, click here.

For the interview with imbedded correspondent Rahul Bedi, click here.