| | Forgotten people: The Kuchis of Afghanistan Refugees International
12/18/2003
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"This is the largest vulnerable population in Afghanistan. There are presently no 'return' solutions for Kuchi and there will not be any return until the drought is over in the south, pasture returns, the wells in the Reg [sandy desert] are repaired, and their limited livestock increase to a number that they can sustain themselves." - United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA), April 7, 2003 Why are the Kuchis Forgotten? Kuchi means "nomad" in the Afghan Dari language. The livelihood and culture of the Kuchis have been all but destroyed by conflict, drought, and demographic shifts. Some 200,000 Kuchis are displaced in Afghanistan; an equal or larger number are refugees in Pakistan; and hundreds of thousands of others are eking out a precarious existence in urban or rural areas in Afghanistan. Only a small number of Kuchis still follow their traditional livelihood of nomadic herding. The Kuchis are forgotten because of their residence in remote and insecure areas of Afghanistan and Pakistan, the hostility of other ethnic groups to them, and the lack of a ready solution to the problems they face. The People and the Land Larger than France, but smaller than Texas, Afghanistan is a rugged land of desert and mountains, and has a population of 20-25 million. The great majority of the people depend on agriculture for a livelihood, growing crops in a few areas where water is available for irrigation, or where rainfall is sufficient. More than 80 percent of the land is suitable only for sparse grazing. Afghanistan has traditionally been ruled by Pashtuns who make up about 40 percent of the population, with Tajiks, Uzbeks, Hazaras, and other ethnic groups comprising the remainder. Kuchis are Pashtuns from southern and eastern Afghanistan. In the 1970s they numbered about 2 million and migrated seasonally with their sheep, goats, and camels from summer pastures in the highlands of central Afghanistan to winter grazing at lower elevations. Some Kuchis abandoned nomadic life when the government gave them land in northwestern Afghanistan in areas traditionally occupied by Uzbeks and Tajiks. Most of these Kuchis became farmers or semi-nomadic herders, though they retained their ethnic identification. The war with the Soviet Union in the 1980s, and the civil wars among mujahaadin factions in the 1990s, made it impossible for most Kuchis to continue their nomadic life style. Many became refugees in Pakistan, as did about 5 million Afghans from all walks of life. Others fled to displaced person camps within Afghanistan. Anatomy of the Problem Since the fall of the Taliban in 2001, the lives of most Afghans, at least those in the northern two-thirds of the country, have improved. But the Kuchis have not shared in the progress. In the south, Kuchis lost most of their animals due to a severe drought from 1998 to 2002. Pastures and water sources in the drought stricken areas still have not recovered. In the northwest, Uzbeks and Tajiks resent the presence of Kuchis, and have forced them to flee their lands. Many ended up in dismal displaced person camps near Herat or Kandahar or in dangerous and isolated refugee camps in Pakistan. Kuchis who have livestock are often unable to drive their flocks to their traditional summer grazing pastures in the central highlands. On a visit in June 2003, RI encountered few Kuchis in the highlands, and the local Hazaras were hostile to the Kuchis due to association with the hated Taliban. In some areas, landmines hinder access to grazing land. Thus, the problems faced by the Kuchis are long-term and multi-faceted. A return to nomadic life will require rebuilding herds, renewing water sources, and improving relationships with other ethnic groups. Years of residence in refugee and displaced camps may have persuaded some Kuchis that a sedentary life is preferable to their former livelihood. Most Kuchis RI has spoken to, however, indicate a desire to return to nomadic herding. Since much of Afghanistan is suitable only for seasonal grazing, the ecological niche for nomadic herding still seems to exist. Humanitarian Conditions Most Kuchi refugees in Pakistan live in camps in the Quetta region. In July, many Kuchis in dangerous camps near the border were offered the option of moving to camps further inside Pakistan or returning to Afghanistan to be resettled in new communities near Kandahar. Most chose to return to the new settlements, but insecurity and lack of economic opportunity are large problems. A few Kuchis displaced from northwestern Afghanistan by the hostility of their neighbors have chosen to return to their homes, but others have settled in squalid settlements on the outskirts of cities such as Herat and Kandahar, where they are employed as day laborers. Very little of the foreign assistance extended to Afghanistan by the international community has gone to aid the Kuchis. Few assistance agencies work in the insecure areas in which they are located, and most donors emphasize short-term economic and humanitarian aid rather than the longer-term assistance the Kuchis need to rebuild their herds. Recommendations An immediate return by most Kuchis to their nomadic lifestyle is not possible. A UN-supported special commission working within the Afghan government recommends a phased approach to:
Rehabilitate water sources used by the Kuchis.
Rebuild herds as the recovery of rangeland permits and develop alternative feeding strategies such as use of new species of drought-resistant fodder.
Provide vocational training and education to enable Kuchis, who wish to do so, to abandon nomadic life.
In addition to the well-placed commission suggestions, RI recommends: Evaluation of the possession and utilization of pastureland in the central highlands to determine the feasibility of Kuchis resuming their former summer migrations. Reconciliation of the Kuchis and the Hazaras who inhabit this region would also be necessary.
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