KANDAHAR CITY (PAN): More than 1,000 families have arrived from troubled districts in this capital of southern Kandahar province in the wake of an ongoing joint military operation.

The operation codenamed Hamkari (Cooperation), involving thousands of Afghan and coalition troops, was recently extended to Zherai and Panjwai districts after militants were driven away from their bases in Arghandab.

The families fleeing their houses and belongings are facing numerous problems in Kandahar City.  A number of displaced people gathered on Tuesday in front of the Refugee and Returnee Department, asking for help.

"Living in Arghandab is impossible due to clashes between militants and security forces," said a resident of the Loya Minara area.

"Insecurity has forced me to leave my orchard at a time when the harvest of pomegranates is underway," Haji Hizbullah added. He said they were facing problems while living with relatives after migrating from his hometown.

The displaced people were unable to find jobs and had been forced to gather around the department to seek assistance, said residents of the Chargholba area of the same district.

Currently living in the Loya Wala area, Jamila and Sultan Bibi, who have to feed their children on their own, said that they had no option but to flee their hometown. "We have no male family member to feed these orphans," said Sultan Bibi, 40, while referring to her children.

People of Zherai, Panjwai and Khakrez districts have also migrated to the city. Sher Muhammad, a resident of Khakrez, said he was living in an old house, paying a rent of 3,000 afghanis a month.  He said about 500 families had fled the district.

Refugee and Returnee Director Muhammad Azim Nawabi said about 629 families had arrived from Arghandab district alone.  He added a survey had been carried out to identify the displaced from Arghandab in order to provide them with assistance.

He said a similar survey would also be conducted to identify families displaced from Zherai and Panjwai. The government alone could not help them, he said, urging the World Food Programme (WFP) and UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) to assist the displaced families.

frm/ma/mud