Hundreds of thousands of Afghans have been displaced from their homes because of continuing violence in the country.

They face severe hardship as the country’s harsh winter approaches.

The United Nations calls these people “internally-displaced persons.” They include both those who fled their homes and those forced to return to Afghanistan from neighboring countries. The UN says more than one million people will be in this situation by the end of the year.

VOA spoke with some of the refugees. VOA learned that many of them are helped for just one month. Those who have been displaced for longer than that struggle to find help. Noor Mohammed is one of them.

"I've been here from Sangin for seven or eight years because there is war there. We have no facilities here. Look, these kids are playing in the dirt. They don't go to school - there are no health facilities. Winter is coming and we have nothing to deal with it."

Most of those at risk are women and children. International aid groups believe they are vulnerable to harm, including women like Najeeba.

“The government is not helping us at all. They’ve just left us in these tents without any facilities.”

The U.N. has warned that the number of Afghans displaced from their homes because of war may increase by the end of the year. But the amount of help is growing smaller as the number of refugees rises.

I’m Bryan Lynn.

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Words in This Story

facility – n. something (such as a building or large piece of equipment) that is built for a specific purpose

vulnerable – adj. open to attack or harm