The recent evictions of internally displaced people (IDPs) in Kabul, in June 2024, have left over 800 vulnerable families (around 5,600 individuals) with nowhere to go.
Evictions fuel crisis for Kabul's internally displaced people
Around 1,400 IDPs have had to return to their places of origin, where they often find nothing left after several years of absence. Over 4,200 others have joined other IDPs in informal settlements that are also at risk of demolition.
Evictees often become more vulnerable, because the disruption to their livelihoods means they must cope with losing their homes, assets and incomes. They are also exposed to health issues such as stress, anxiety and various physical illnesses, caused by instability and poor living conditions. Repeated displacement – removing people from their social support networks, disrupting their education and causing them loss of identity and culture – negatively affects IDPs’ long-term coping abilities.
Around 1,400 IDPs have had to return to their places of origin, where they often find nothing left after several years of absence. Over 4,200 others have joined other IDPs in informal settlements that are also at risk of demolition.
Evictees often become more vulnerable, because the disruption to their livelihoods means they must cope with losing their homes, assets and incomes. They are also exposed to health issues such as stress, anxiety and various physical illnesses, caused by instability and poor living conditions. Repeated displacement – removing people from their social support networks, disrupting their education and causing them loss of identity and culture – negatively affects IDPs’ long-term coping abilities.
Hamdullah's journey tells a story of resilience
Hamdullah, a 30-year-old father of 10, hails from Southern Uruzgan province. “I had to leave Uruzgan because of the civil war during the previous government,” he recalls. Seeking safety, Hamdullah and his family moved to Kabul, where they lived in the Bagrami IDP settlement for nearly a decade.
Life in Bagrami was manageable. “I did not have bad living conditions while living in Bagrami settlement. I had a small shop inside the settlement selling different items to other IDP families. The shop was able to cover our daily expenses,” Hamdullah explains.
However, the Taliban takeover forced him and his family to relocate to Kandahar, where their stay was short-lived. Floods destroyed their shelter, prompting their return to Kabul and the Bagrami settlement. Recently, the demolished three informal settlements, including the one where Hamdullah and his family were living, pushing them to another informal settlement, . “The authorities came and told us to leave the settlement and go back to your place of origin,” he says.
Now, Hamdullah faces new challenges, including rent, which he did not have to pay in the previous settlement. “I have to pay 2,000 AFN [around $29] per month to the owner of this house … It is very hard for me now to pay the rent cost, family expenses and other costs with almost no income,” he shares.
To make ends meet, Hamdullah buys cheap dried bread. “[My children] soaks the dried breadcrumbs in the water to make it a bit softer before they eat it. I can barely afford two meals a day to feed my family,” he says.
The financial strain has left Hamdullah in debt. He says he had to borrow money from others to pay for his and his wife’s medical treatment, among other expenses. “I currently owe 28,000 AFN [around $395] to different people,” he says.
Hamdullah’s message to the world is a plea for aid. “Please support us; those who are evicted from their settlements have nowhere to go. The world should support these people and help them pay back their debt,” he urges.
The humanitarian situation in Afghanistan remains dire. People are grappling with severe challenges, including widespread poverty, food insecurity and displacement. Almost half of the population lives below the poverty line, and millions face acute malnutrition.
Nadia's story: a plea for help
Nadia, a 25-year-old mother of four originally from Kandahar, has faced unimaginable hardships.1 “I have six daughters. Two of them died due to heart disease,” she shares with sorrow.
For 10 years, Nadia and her family lived in the settlement in Kabul, where she says their financial situation was almost stable. However, the demolition of the settlement plunged them into debt. Moving to acost them 90,000 AFN (around $1,270), which they now owe in debt.
“This place is not ideal for my children, and I am worried about their education and them living here,” she says. “Shelter is the utmost need of my family and children.”
Nadia’s life has been challenging from a young age. She reveals that she got married when she was 12 and delivered her firstborn a year later. As her husband’s second wife, she faces additional struggles. “[My husband] is going to marry another 13-year-old child to have a son as he calls me ‘defective’ for giving him daughters, not a son,” Nadia says, her pain evident.
She explains that her children go hungry and thirsty because her family’s earnings are spent on paying their debts. Tragedy struck when one of Nadia’s daughters died and they couldn’t afford to pay for her funeral.
When IDPs are evicted from their settlements, loss of social connections and family separation are common repercussions that exacerbate their already precarious situation.
- ^ Nadia is a nickname. Her real name has been changed due to personal concerns.
Khan Mohammad's struggle for stability
Khan Mohammad, a 33-year-old father of four, originally from Zhari district in Kandahar province, has faced numerous challenges. He explains that his family had to leave Zhari district due to security concerns . For nearly 14 years, his family lived in the informal IDP settlement in Kabul.
However, their stability was short-lived. “It has been over a month since we moved [to Helmandian informal IDP settlement] due to eviction by the authorities,” Khan Mohammad shares. The family now rents two rooms, paying 2,500 AFN (around $25) per month. They did not have to pay rent in their previous settlement.
The sense of community in their previous settlement was a source of support. Khan Mohammad recalls that people in the settlement knew each other well and were able to support each other to some extent. Now, he struggles to make ends meet. “I buy secondhand items and sell them back by adding a small profit on top of them. I make around 100 AFN [around $1.40] per day, which is not sufficient for a six-member family’s expenses,” he says.
The economic situation for evicted families is dire. “They need shelter, food and land,” Khan Mohammad emphasises. Almost 60 other evicted households from thesettlement have joined Khan Mohammad’s family in the Helmandian settlement. “No one has received any assistance following the eviction,” he notes.
The eviction has forced families to make difficult choices. Khan Mohammad says that some families had to sell their belongings to rent a truck so that they could move themselves and their remaining possessions to either their place of origin or to other settlements. He says: “I know families who did not have food to eat for almost two days following the eviction.”
Khan Mohammad had to make a painful sacrifice himself. “I had to sell the wood from our roof to pay the rent for the new home,” he shares.
His message to the world is: “Please provide us with job opportunities, land for living, shelter and food.”
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