UNITED NATIONS, May 2 (UPI) -- The U.N. says most Afghan refugees returning home name social and economic rights, jobs, housing and clean water -- but not security -- as top priorities.
"It is a unique report which illustrates to Afghans that human rights are not something far-fetched, but very relevant and tangible in their everyday lives," said Nader Naderi, Commissioner of the Afghan Independent Human Rights Commission, which carried out the survey, published Monday with the support of the office of the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees.
Even though certain parts of the country are still troubled by insecurity, only 4 percent of respondents cited security as a priority concern, UNHCR said.
The study, which covers sources of income, access to shelter, water and sanitation, education and the prevalence of child labor was originally designed to provide an assessment of the Afghan government's ability to protect the social and economic rights of its citizens.
But since just under 75 percent of the 7,929 interviewees were former refugees and internally displaced people, the findings have also provided a valuable insight into the current circumstances of returnees.
Home and land ownership proved to be widespread, with fewer than 10 percent of respondents saying they did not own a house or land. But housing and the repair of housing was a key issue, with 40 percent saying their house had been damaged or destroyed or that they lacked sufficient space.
Half of all interviewees did not have access to safe drinking water, while over a third used a water source that is shared with animals or is considered unhealthy.
