20. Oktober 2014

Diese Anfragebeantwortung wurde für die Veröffentlichung auf ecoi.net abgeändert.

Sicherheitslage in der Provinz Bamiyan

Informationen zu oben genannter Frage entnehmen Sie bitte auch folgender ACCORD-Anfragebeantwortung vom Februar 2014:

·      ACCORD - Austrian Centre for Country of Origin and Asylum Research and Documentation: Anfragebeantwortung zu Afghanistan: 1) Sicherheitslage in der Provinz Bamiyan und in Kabul; 2) Medizinische Versorgung [a-8598], 4. Februar 2014 (verfügbar auf ecoi.net)

http://www.ecoi.net/local_link/270028/398496_de.html

 

Laut einem vom Afghanistan Analysts Network (AAN), einer unabhängigen, gemeinnützigen Forschungsorganisation mit Hauptsitz in Kabul, veröffentlichten Artikel des Autors Jalil Benish, der sich mit der Menschenrechtslage in Afghanistan beschäftigt, sei Bamiyan in den vergangenen zwölf Jahren als eine der sichersten Provinzen in Afghanistan betrachtet worden. 2008 sowie 2009 sei in der Provinz über jeweils einen Todesfall („casualty“) eines Polizisten berichtet worden. 2010 seien zwei und 2011 drei Polizisten getötet worden. Im Jahr 2012 seien zwölf afghanische Polizisten, sechs neuseeländische Soldaten und vier Beamte der Nationalen Sicherheitsabteilung getötet worden:

„Over the past twelve years, Bamyan has been regarded as one of the safest provinces in Afghanistan. Security incidents were rare and coalition forces’ casualties were low. For that reason, Bamyan was selected as the first province where coalition forces handed over to Afghan security forces, starting on 17 July 2011. The security situation initially remained stable. […] But the security situation had already started to change, particularly in the two districts bordering Baghlan province, Shibar and Kahmard. While only one police casualty was reported in the whole province in 2008 and again in 2009, in 2010 two Afghan policemen were killed, according to the governor’s spokesman. In 2011, this increased to three policemen and two soldiers of the local New Zealand PRT, and in 2012, to twelve Afghan police, six New Zealand soldiers, and four employees of the National Security Department.“ (AAN, 15. März 2014)

Jalil Benish erwähnt in seinem Artikel zudem, dass die Schließung zweier Bergwerke in der Provinz Bamiyan zu einer Zunahme von Konflikten und zu steigender Unsicherheit beigetragen habe. Die Taliban und Hezb-e Islami hätten ihre Aktivitäten in der Region verstärkt und würden unter anderem die neuen Arbeitslosen rekrutieren:

„In a new report by Afghanistan Watch, Jalil Benish explores how the closure of two of Bamyan’s coalmines, after a Chinese company secured exploitation rights, contributed to increased conflict and insecurity. […] The government did little to provide alternative employment for miners and workers. Local development and infrastructure development, two key principles touted by the Ministry of Mines, did not materialise. This negligence not only increased the distance between the central government and local people, it also stirred anti-government sentiments and action. The workers, having lost their main income due to the mine closures, returned to impoverished communities, which were in many cases unable to reabsorb them. The newly unemployed also seem prone to disputes and banditry. Shamsuddin, a resident of Do Ab village in Kahmard who transported coal in his lorry, said that the roads are no longer safe: ‘You can now witness disputes among people every day, while before the closure of the mines everybody was busy working.’ Shamsuddin himself was robbed once, and knows of robbers being arrested or killed by the police. According to this village resident, before the closure of the mines, the Do Ab area was bustling with people; now it has gone quiet. The newly unemployed and those who have taken up banditry provide fertile recruitment ground for anti-government armed forces like the Taleban and Hezb-e Islami that have stepped up their activities in the region, as illustrated below.” (AAN, 15. März 2014)

Die afghanische Nachrichtenagentur Pajhwok Afghan News (PAN) berichtet im August 2013, dass, obwohl Bamiyan eine sichere Provinz sei, die Unsicherheit in den Provinzen Baglan und Parwan negative Auswirkungen auf Bamiyan habe. Bislang seien Dutzende Menschen bei Angriffen von Rebellen, die sich in Bamiyan eingeschlichen hätten („sneaked to Bamyan“), getötet oder verletzt worden:

„Though Bamyan is a secure province, existence insecurity in northern Baghlan and central Parwan province left negative impact over security of the province. So far, dozens people were killed or injured in the attacks that carried out by rebels who sneaked to Bamyan.” (PAN, 27. August 2013)

Das UNO-Flüchtlingshochkommissariat (UN High Commissioner for Refugees, UNHCR) zählt die Provinz Bamyan in einem monatlichen Update zu freiwilliger Rückkehr vom Juni 2014 zu den relativ sicheren Provinzen in Afghanistan:

„Of those who cited the improvement of security situation in some parts of Afghanistan as the primary pull factor of their return, 86% returned to relatively secure provinces such as Kabul, Herat, Takhar, Balkh, Bamyan, Daykundi, Samangan, Kunduz, Baghlan and Parwan. While 13% returned to insecure provinces; Farah, Ghazni, Kandahar, Helmand and Logar.” (UNHCR, Juni 2014, S. 4)

Die Unterstützungsmission der Vereinten Nationen in Afghanistan (UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan, UNAMA) schreibt in ihrem Halbjahresbericht zum Schutz von ZivilistInnen im bewaffneten Konflikt vom Juli 2014, dass sechs Kinder in der Provinz Bamiyan getötet worden seien, als sie nicht explodierte Munition (Unexploded ordnance, UXO) gefunden und begonnen hätten, damit zu spielen:

„On 21 March, a group of children found UXO in Bamyan city, Bamyan province and began playing with it. The ordnance exploded, killing six children immediately while a seventh child died later in the hospital.” (UNAMA, Juli 2014, S. 58)

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Sozio-ökonomische Lage in der Provinz Bamiyan

Das US-amerikanische Wochenmagazin Newsweek schreibt in einem Artikel vom April 2014, dass die Provinz Bamiyan großteils landwirtschaftlich geprägt sei und die Arbeitslosigkeit im Winter stark ansteige. Die Stadt werde von der Zentralregierung so vernachlässigt, dass sie erst seit Februar 2014 mit Elektrizität versorgt werde:

„Bamiyan is a mainly agricultural society and in winter unemployment skyrockets. The town is so neglected by the central government that until February it didn't have electricity.“ (Newsweek, 3. April 2014)

Pajhwok Afghan News (PAN) berichtet in einem anlässlich der Wahlen im Jahr 2014 veröffentlichten undatierten Artikel unter anderem, dass Frauen Aprikosen, Birnen und Äpfel verarbeiten und abpacken würden, die später in andere Provinzen exportiert würden. Schätzungsweise über 60.000 Bauern würden in der Provinz tätig sein. Zudem gebe es etwa eine Million Tiere, darunter Schafe, Ziegen, Stiere und Kühe:

„Bamyan is an agrarian province with 90% of its economy is based on agriculture and livestock. Potato is the most abundant produced product of the province. Potatoes of the province are not only popular in the country but also in Pakistan and Tajikistan where it is exported. In addition, wheat and corn are its producing grains while apricot, pear, apple are the popular fruit of Bamyan province, which is processed and packed by women and later exported to other provinces. Bamyan is among the provinces where opium is not cultivated since a long time. The number of its farmers is estimated more than 60,000, while around one million animals are there including sheep, goats, bulls and cows.” (PAN, ohne Datum)

Laut einem weiteren Artikel von PAN vom August 2013 würden laut Angaben von BewohnerInnen Arbeitslosigkeit, das Fehlen von Elektrizität, befestigter Straßen und Gesundheitszentren sowie zögerliche („slow-paced”) Entwicklungsprojekte die größten Probleme in Bamiyan darstellen. Der Artikel enthält zudem weitere detaillierte Informationen zur wirtschaftlichen Lage in der Provinz Bamiyan:

„Residents of Bamyan mentioned their main problems included unemployment, non-existence of electricity, paved roads, health care centers and slow-paced development activities. Without Yakawlang district, the remaining roads linking other districts with the provincial capital are unpaved. In addition, many villages are without roads with its residents shift their needed items by domestic animals. Many Bamyani youth were going to foreign countries as a result of growing joblessness and sometimes some families are forced to leave their residences. Many families in the provincial capital and hundreds shopkeepers are using electricity of mobile generators or lamp, where a number of residents in provincial capital staged a rally in protest to absence of electricity sometimes back. But a number of protestors were detained by police. Moreover, the students of Bamyan University marched into the main square during the night and had installed a big lamp on a main square of the capital city. Due to absence of electricity, many traders did not willing to invest or install factories in the province, a local trader, Mohammad Alam, told Pajhwok Afghan News. He said private sector electricity was very expensive, forcing traders to avoid advancing their properties in Bamyan. Mohammad Nawab, another resident of the province, said: ‘I am jobless. It is very difficult for me to afford needs of my family.’ Earlier, good working environment was favorable in the province, he said, adding he has been working for the past ten years but seen no improvement in his life and become more borrower. Over the past decade, the province did not witness considerable development, where electricity, health care centers and education projects, considering as main demands of residents, were yet to be executed, said Haji Dauod, a tribal elder from Vars district. He complained there were no skilled teachers and adequate health care centers, saying some of these centers have recruited unprofessional people. Provincial Council Head Mohammad Sadiq Yarzada confirmed Bamyan witnessed imbalanced progress over the past decade. After a little progress, a number of projects were halted due to unknown reasons, he asserted. Many reconstruction projects are allocated to insecure districts, believing this failed policy would leave negative impact in the long run. Although the National Solidarity Program (NSP) was a little bit effective on the province but it also consisted a little problems even if some low quality projects were executed under NSP. Bamyan witnessed different problems in various fields, Haji Haidar Ali, a provincial council member said, adding ‘as a public representative, I know residents of the province are suffering various problems such as absence of security, development works and non execution of agriculture, health and education.’ […] He called administrative corruption as a major problem, which broke the backbone of Bamyanis, saying government departments did not address people problems because of rampant bribery. A female cultural activist, Marzia Asadi said women of the province faced various problems in the areas of health, education, job and other legal issues. She said Bamyan women lacked access to legal facilities with judiciary departments not paying attention to female problems.” (PAN, 27. August 2013)

Die katholische Hilfsorganisation Jesuit Refugee Service (JRS) schreibt in einer Pressemitteilung vom Juni 2014, dass die Organisation unter anderem in Bamiyan seit 2008 Dienste in den Bereichen Bildung und Gesundheit für RückkehrerInnen aus dem Iran und aus Pakistan anbiete:

„JRS [Jesuit Refugee Service] has been working in Afghanistan since 2008 accompanying returnees home from exile in Iran and Pakistan and providing education and healthcare services in Bamiyan, Kabul and Herat. In 2013, more than 6,000 disadvantaged people from disadvantaged communities benefitted from these services.“ (JRS, 3. Juni 2014)

BBC News berichtet in einem Artikel vom August 2014, dass einige Höhlen in den Sandsteinklippen von Bamiyan, die aufgrund der von den Taliban im Jahr 2001 zerstörten Buddha-Statuen bekannt seien, von etwa 700 Familien bewohnt würden, die kein Land besitzen würden oder sich keine gewöhnlichen Wohnungen leisten könnten. Es gebe in der Nähe keine Schulen und aufgrund von Armut würde der Großteil der Familien ihre Kinder als Arbeitskräfte benötigen. Eine Bewohnerin und ihre Tochter würden ein wenig Geld mit Stickereien verdienen:

„The sandstone cliffs of Afghanistan's Bamiyan province are most famous for the giant 6th century Buddha statues carved out of the rock and destroyed by the Taliban in 2001. The monks who created them also dug out numerous caves in the Bamiyan valley. Originally used for meditation and retreat, some of these caves are now home to around 700 Afghan families who have no land and can't afford conventional housing. Ramazan and his wife Zahra have been living here for eight years. Their son and two daughters were born in the caves. Like most of the local children they don't go to school. ‘There's no hope of becoming an educated person if you live here,’ says Ramazan. There are no schools nearby and grinding poverty means most families need their children to work. Ramazan would like to find somewhere better to live. He once moved out, but was forced to return because he couldn't afford to pay the rent. […] Forty-seven year old Halima's life changed after her husband was killed by the Taliban. […] Halima and her daughter-in-law are the only breadwinners in the family, doing embroidery to earn a little money.” (BBC, 17. August 2014)

Laut einem im September 2014 veröffentlichten Artikel der Nachrichtenagentur Inter Press Service (IPS) habe ein Bewohner von Bamiyan angegeben, dass er seine sieben Kinder in seiner Heimatstadt Bamiyan nicht versorgen könnte. Zudem sei er Analphabet, was ein weiteres großes Hindernis bezüglich Einkommen und Unterstützung der Familie darstelle:

„In his early 40s, Ahmed looks 15 years older than his real age. He says he has no means of feeding his seven children back in his hometown of Bamiyan, 130 km northwest of Kabul. Being illiterate poses yet another major hurdle to earning money and supporting his family.“ (IPS, 16. September 2014)

Eine von Giorgia Nicatore, einer Studentin an der Georgetown University in Washington, D.C., verfasste Analyse zur Provinz Bamiyan vom November 2013 enthält detaillierte Informationen zur wirtschaftlichen Lage. 90 Prozent der Wirtschaft basiere auf Landwirtschaft und Viehhaltung. Das durchschnittliche Familieneinkommen betrage jährlich 1.030 US-Dollar (etwa 807 Euro, Anm. ACCORD). Der Großteil der Bevölkerung sei in der Subsistenzlandwirtschaft beschäftigt. Viehzucht und der Anbau von Gemüse und Früchten seien außerhalb des Distrikts Waras selten. Aktuell seien acht UNO-Organisationen und etwa 20 nationale und internationale NGOs in der Provinz in den Bereichen Ernährung, Wiederaufbau, Gesundheit und Entwicklung tätig. Es gebe nur wenig Kleinindustrie, jedoch würden weiterhin Teppiche, Decken, Kleidungsstücke und Schmuck produziert. Die Einrichtung eines Nationalparks würde bereits jetzt Park-Rangern und Kunsthandwerkern eine Einkommensquelle bieten:

„90% of Bamyan’s economy is based on agriculture and livestock. Unlike many other regions in Afghanistan Bamyan has been declared poppy-free by the UNODC [United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime] since 2007: the topography of the region as well as the relative low quality of road networks and transport infrastructure dramatically reduce its appeal as a hub for drug trafficking. The average family income in the province is $1,030 per year, with the majority of the population engaged in subsistence agriculture. Animal husbandry and the cultivation of vegetables and fruits is also present, but rare outside of the Waras district. According to a 2008 UNODC report a few villages throughout the province also grow tobacco and produce small handicrafts (rugs, carpets, jewelry, shawls). The main crops grown in Bamyan are wheat, corn, barley, beans and potatoes. Most farming in the province is subsistence based and there is little surplus to market. Although farmers do sell potatoes from the Shibar, Kahmard and Bamyan centres, overproduction, the lack of a regulated market (and the cheap imports from Pakistan) and the lack of storage facilities mean that low prices for this product are maintained. This means that despite the fact that Bamyan is the largest producer of potatoes in Afghanistan that produce still provides a limited source of revenue. Around 90% of all households also hold their own livestock and poultry: this contributes to the income of one-third of the families. There are currently 8 UN agencies and around 20 national and international NGOs working on nutrition, reconstruction, health and development projects in Bamyan. According to their online interactive map of where they work, USAID alone has had 44 projects running in Bamyan. According to the CSO ’s [Central Statistical Organisation of Afghanistan] 2012 - 2013 statistical report on industries’ development Bamyan is currently receiving 2,109,191Afghanis (around $37,000) in development money from the government to implement projects in sectors such as health, education, transportation, irrigation and agriculture. In a 2011-2012 statistical report on the state of donor assistance in Afghanistan the CSO put the total NGO and donor expenditure for development projects in the province of Bamyan at $116,504,732 with 383 projects running. Foreign expenditure in Bamyan, according to this same statistical report, is one of the highest in the country; with so many projects devoted to the improvement of infrastructure, agriculture, health and education it is clear that Bamyan’s economy is heavily reliant on foreign assistance. As mentioned, small industries are scarce but handicrafts such carpets, blankets and clothes as well as jewelry are still produced despite the isolation of the province and the unlikelihood of the development of small industries. However the sale of traditional handicrafts may increase due to the growing tourism industry in Bamyan, in particular in the area surrounding the Band-e Amir national park, the first to be declared as such in Afghanistan. Popular amongst tourists in the 1970s, at the centre of Band-e Amir is a series of six azure lakes held back by natural travertine dams, offering a spectacular view: the area has tremendous potential to attract more international tourism in the years to come. Since 2006 the US government and the Wildlife Conservation Society have been working with the government of Afghanistan to establish this national park; the park is now managed by the Band-e Amir Protected Area Committee (BAPAC). The national park is already showing signs of increased affluence from tourists (mostly nationals) and is already providing a source of income to park rangers or artisans in the area: these factors are expected to lead to increased economic development for the area, perhaps providing a solution (albeit localised) to the heavy reliance on donor money.” (Nicatore, 4. November 2013, S. 4-6)

Die US-amerikanische Tageszeitung Wall Street Journal (WSJ) berichtet im Dezember 2012, dass laut Angaben des afghanischen Ministeriums für Bergbau nach der Schließung von 103 illegalen Bergwerken im Distrikt Kahmard in der Provinz Bamiyan 1.000 Arbeitsplätze verloren gegangen seien. Laut Bergarbeitern und örtlichen Regierungsbeamten seien in Bamiyan und den angrenzenden Provinzen Samangan und Baglan fünf- bis zehntausend Menschen arbeitslos geworden. Ein ehemaliger Bergarbeiter habe angegeben, dass die Menschen keine andere Wahl hätten, als sich den Taliban anzuschließen, wenn die Regierung nichts zu ihrer Hilfe unternehme:

„The Afghan Ministry of Mines says the summer's closure of 103 illegal mining tunnels in Kahmard was needed to safeguard the area for the Chinese investors and to stop widespread child labor and unsafe practices, some of which have been documented earlier this year by The Wall Street Journal. According to the ministry, 1,000 jobs have been lost. Miners and local government officials say 5,000 to 10,000 people have become unemployed across Bamiyan and in the adjoining provinces of Samangan and Baghlan. ‘I can't find a job to feed my children. Where will we find the firewood to heat our houses this winter?’ said Sakhi Daad Lali, 51, a former laborer in Bamiyan's coal mines and a father of 11. ‘People have no choice but to join the Taliban when the government doesn't do anything to help them.’” (WSJ, 14. Dezember 2012)

 

 

Quellen: (Zugriff auf alle Quellen am 20. Oktober 2014)

Sicherheitslage in der Provinz Bamiyan

·      AAN - Afghanistan Analysts Network: Cure or Curse? Implications of the Kilij mine closure for Bamyan’s security situation, 15. März 2014 (Autor: Benish, Jalil)

https://www.afghanistan-analysts.org/cure-or-curse-implications-of-the-kilij-mine-closure-for-bamyans-security-situation/

·      ACCORD - Austrian Centre for Country of Origin and Asylum Research and Documentation: Anfragebeantwortung zu Afghanistan: 1) Sicherheitslage in der Provinz Bamiyan und in Kabul; 2) Medizinische Versorgung [a-8598], 4. Februar 2014 (verfügbar auf ecoi.net)

http://www.ecoi.net/local_link/270028/398496_de.html

·      PAN - Pajhwok Afghan News: Rampant corruption, unemployment main problems in Bamyan: Residents, 27. August 2013

http://www.elections.pajhwok.com/en/content/rampant-corruption-unemployment-main-problems-bamyan-residents

·      UNAMA - UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan: Afghanistan; Mid-Year Report 2014; Protection of Civilians in Armed Conflict, Juli 2014 (verfügbar auf ecoi.net)

http://www.ecoi.net/file_upload/1226_1404997194_unama-mid-year.pdf

·      UNHCR - UN High Commissioner for Refugees: Volrep and Border Monitoring; Monthly Update; June 2014, Juni 2014 (verfügbar auf ecoi.net)

http://www.ecoi.net/file_upload/1930_1406624820_53d5fc214.pdf

Sozio-ökonomische Lage in der Provinz Bamiyan

·      BBC News: The cave dwellers of Bamiyan, 17. August 2014

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-28583933#sa-ns_mchannel=rss&ns_source=PublicRSS20-sa

·      IPS - Inter Press Service - News Agency: For These Asylum Seekers, the Journey Ends Where it Began, 16. September 2014

http://www.ipsnews.net/2014/09/for-these-asylum-seekers-the-journey-ends-where-it-began/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=for-these-asylum-seekers-the-journey-ends-where-it-began

·      JRS - Jesuit Refugee Service: Afghanistan: Jesuit Refugee Service director kidnapped 25km from Herat city, 3. Juni 2014 (veröffentlicht von ReliefWeb)

http://reliefweb.int/report/afghanistan/afghanistan-jesuit-refugee-service-director-kidnapped-25km-herat-city

·      Newsweek: On the Slopes in Afghanistan, 3. April 2014

http://www.newsweek.com/2014/04/11/slopes-afghanistan-248093.html

·      Nicatore, Giorgia: Provincial Analysis: Bamyan, 4. November 2013 (verfügbar auf Academia.edu)

http://www.academia.edu/5143002/Provincial_analysis_of_Bamyan_Afghanistan

·      PAN - Pajhwok Afghan News: Background Profile of Bamyan Province, ohne Datum

http://www.elections.pajhwok.com/en/content/background-profile-bamyan-province

·      PAN - Pajhwok Afghan News: Rampant corruption, unemployment main problems in Bamyan: Residents, 27. August 2013

http://www.elections.pajhwok.com/en/content/rampant-corruption-unemployment-main-problems-bamyan-residents

·      WSJ - The Wall Street Journal: Delays at Chinese-Run Afghan Mines Raise Security Fears, 14. Dezember 2012

http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424127887323330604578143251594500058