Welcome to BASE21

By Karim Nawaz

Afghan refugees started entering Pakistan as a result of socialist revolution in Afghanistan in April 1978 as majority of population was displaced in side country.
To cope with emerging situation government of Pakistan has established a cell at federal level, i.e. Commissioner Afghan Refugees Cell. A commissioner at federal level was appointed as a head of this cell. Later on three commissioners were appointed in each province NWFP, Balochistan and Punjab. In 1981 this cell became a permanent body.

Government has decided to establish camps for these refugees in various appropriate sites. Main objectives was to bring and get settled refugees in these specific sites, register them, collect personal information, household details, issue them passbooks/ration card along with photographs. In Balochistan province under Commissioner Afghan Refugees there were and still are four major sectors, i.e. administration, education, health and water supply sections. Under administration branch staff will be responsible for law and order situation, camp management, distribution of food and non-food items, storage facilities, and site planning etc. This organization had total staff of 1295 persons at that time.
Each refugee hosting district had district administration officer and assistant administrative officer. Each camps had village administrator supported with clerks, store keeper and levies force.

This was to facilitate the refugees on purely humanitarian grounds. Government provided different basic infrastructure and other facilities such as water supply schemes, health facilities, and educations services in the camps throughout the country. Moreover, storage houses were constructed along the road from Karachi for food items. There were five districts where refugee camps were located. Each camp had population ranging form 1400 to 2000 households or 10,000 to 15,000 populations. To handle these camps administration wing of commissioner refugees was responsible. This office has also support of clerks, accountants, and storekeepers.
Among refugees at camps the composition was as follows: Pashtun 82% and rest of the 18% were Baloch, Turkeman, Uzbek, Tajik, Mughal and Hazara.

There were more than 100,000 unregistered refugees in Quetta town also and mainly belong to minority groups such as Uzbek, Turkman, Tajik, and Hazaras. Government used to supply them food and non food items. Each person had share of 15 kg flour, 900 Gms oil, and each family had a supply of 6 liters kerosene oil per month. Besides these items, tent and blankets/quilts, stove and kerosene oil were also given. Wheat was supplied on monthly basis. 67% was supplied by The World Food Programme (WFP) and 33 % was provided by the government of Pakistan. There were 273 large vehicles for supply of items and 20 storage facilities throughout the province. There was Rs. 15.7 million budget in 1990 and Rs. 20.6 million were allocated during 1991.
Education branch deals with schooling, education, teaching staff, salaries, and financial affairs related to this sector.

There was a director, deputy director, district education officers, lady field officers, development officers and support staff in education wing of afghan refugees. There was education budget of Rs. 12.862 and Rs. 13 million in 1990 and 1991 respectively.
Afghan refugees brought 0.6 million livestock with them. There were as separate schemes for this. Several small schemes related to livestock treatment and poultry development were started for them. There was a project director appointed from government side for livestock sub sector. Livestock development scheme has 67 staff

members as employee to work in camps. It s budget was Rs. 16.2 million during 1990. Water supply wing is responsible for installation of drinking water schemes, facilitates to operate these units and repair and maintenance. Health wing has several dispensaries
where medical staff (both male and female) is appointed. These medical units are run through this wing. Moreover, medicine supply and other related items are also supplied in these medical centers. This wing is also active in EPI and coverage of program like polio vaccine etc. throughout the camps. Under health sector there were following staff: Director, 5 deputy directors, 5 field doctors, 38 medical officers, 71 support staff. There was a basic health unit at each camp. Besides medical centers set-up for refugees, district hospitals in these area were also providing facilities including operation and surgery services to these refugees. There were 24 private hospitals for Afghan refugees in Quetta also. Budget for Afghan Refugees health program was Rs. 30.19 and Rs. 30.69 million during 1990 and 1991 respectively.

After 1990 aid gradually decreased and in September 1995 aid was stopped. Income generation activities and technical centers for vocational education was closed. During this period refugees started paying for health, education and water supply at the rate of half cost. The whole set-up was paid by the government of Pakistan. Special programs like education, health, income generation were continued at smaller scale by the organizations like Save the Children Fund, Mercy Corps International and few other NGOs.
Upon end of aid from foreign countries and also changes in Afghan government in Kabul, refugees started going back and also evocating the camps. A good proportion of refugees went back and remaining came to urban areas, to relatives, engaged in orchard husbandry with local landowners etc. A larger number came to towns in the province and still living there.
Another influx of Refugees came in 1999-2000 due to drought conditions in Afghanistan approximately 200,000 refugees crossed the border. These refugees were not given status of official refugees by the UNHCR.
Refugees after US/UK air strikes started coming and being settled in the old camps and new camps have also been set-up. It is estimated that at least 200,000 refugees have come to Balochistan after September event.
Total numbers of refugees in various camps are around 15,000 including old refugees in the Balochistan. There are following camps set-up by commissioner Afghan Refugees and UNHCR in the province:
Mohammed Khail camp in Mastung district (two camps sites Mohammed Kheil and Latifabad) approximate population of new refugees is more than 80,000 at present. The other camps have population of 70,000 in cumulative. These are: Camps in Chaghi district, 5 camps in Chaman area near the Afghan border, Muslimbagh, and Loralai district. For above reasons old camps have been renovated except for Chaman area where new camps have been set-up very near to the border almost in no man lands.