July 2008.

Includes bibliography—(p. 54-56).

Summary: During the conflict of the past two and a half decades the social and economic infrastructure of Afghanistan was virtually destroyed. About six million Afghans left the country, mainly for Pakistan and the Islamic republic of Iran. Many of those who returned found their houses destroyed and their land under new ownership, having illegally changed hands many times. Most cities in Afghanistan now face acute housing shortage, with returnees living in inhuman conditions. In the informal settlements o Kabul two-thirds of houses are occupied by more than one family, and almost 9 of 10 families live in just one or two rooms—(p. 3).