ABSTRACT
The conflict in Afghanistan since 1978 has led to the largest coerced movement of people in recent times, with about 5 million refugees in Iran and Pakistan and estimates of internally displaced persons ranging from 1 to 2 million.31 Repatriation started after the Soviet withdrawal in 1989, but it became substantial only after the fall of the communist government in April 1992. By now, about half of the refugees have returned. The escalating conflict from 1994, particularly in Kabul, led to the displacement of up to half a million people, mostly within Afghanistan.32
