Reuters AlertNet Full site
Homepage | Newsdesk | NGO Latest | Crisis briefings | Country profiles | MediaWatch | Jobs | Alerting | Login

FROM THE FIELD

From Pakistan: A displaced mother suffers for her child's wellbeing
19 Jun 2009 18:54:00 GMT
 Source: Church World Service
Website: Website: http://www.churchworldservice.org

284081 logo
A displaced Pakistani woman, injured during fighting in the Swat valley.
Previous | Next
A displaced Pakistani woman, injured during fighting in the Swat valley.
Photo: Ghulam Rasool/Church World Service

Background

•  Pakistan violence

MORE >>
June 18, 2009

Many mothers fled the conflict areas alone with their children. Obtaining relief items and other services has been difficult for many as they are not accompanied by their husbands and are culturally unaccustomed to leaving their homes.

Many mothers fled the conflict areas alone with their children. Obtaining relief items and other services has been difficult for many as they are not accompanied by their husbands and are culturally unaccustomed to leaving their homes. Being on their own in camps or host communities proves a challenging task for survival. Nazia Bibi, widowed during the Pakistan Army and Taliban militants recent fighting, recently told her story to Saadia Haq, of Church World Service.

"My name is Nazia Bibi. Since my birth, I have lived in Swat Valley, but due to the frightening situation because of the Taliban and the war, I had to run with my two younger children to Mardan two weeks ago. The shelling started, and my husband was killed in front of my eyes. Two of my elder sons were out of our home; I did not know what to do except to run with the younger children.

"The noises were so loud, that I felt my voice was lost. While running away, I got injured, both legs, but I knew that if I did not try to run, even after that painful accident, then I will meet the same fate as my husband.

"Allah knows how I got the courage to leave my dead husband behind. I hope some of our remaining people did perform his burial ceremony, but one thought remained--that I had to save the lives of my remaining family, and it took me four days to finally reach Mardan.

"Upon reaching Mardan, and looking at others, I became numb to all that was happening around me. So much suffering and the unshed tears for my husband and elder sons are deep somewhere inside my heart.

"I finally received proper food when CWS-P/A and Sungi team distributed it. I am very surprised that their distribution process also gave women a chance to get something for themselves, as in other distribution points, there are scuffles and men don't let women get near any relief items.

"At least for now, I won't have to worry for my children's food and the danger of going hungry, but I am skeptical because I don't want to go to the hospital and leave my daughter unattended. What if someone kidnaps her? Therefore, I am bearing the leg injures and just pray that the army will win the war against the Taliban, and we can go back and try looking for my missing sons.

"Although Saleem sahib (CWS-Pakistan/Afghanistan's Saleem Dominic) tells me that I should feel completely at ease, there is no danger in this camp, and I should go see a doctor, I am still thinking about it.

"Sister, please think; you are also a girl. Would you ever feel comfortable leaving your young sister or child behind? I can't be selfish right now; my children's safety is most important for me."

"All we (people of Swat) want is peace, restoration of stability in our land, and all the terrorists especially the Taliban to be removed so once more we can lead our lives with dignity in our own homeland. The Islam they are teaching us is not the right one, and we feared for a long time to save our lives; however, it has to end now."

How to help Church World Service is helping to provide food, shelter and medical care for displaced children and families in Pakistan. Contributions to support Church World Service emergency response and recovery efforts may be made online, by phone (800.297.1516), or sent to Church World Service, P.O. Box 968, Elkhart, IN 46515.

Media Contact: Lesley Crosson, 212-870-2676 lcrosson@churchworldservice.org




[ Any views expressed in this article are those of the writer and not of Reuters. ]

Email this article       Send comments

Topics

•  Refugees & displacement

•  Working in Relief

MORE >>

Emergencies

•  Pakistan violence

MORE >>

Members

•  Church World Service

MORE >>

NGO latest

•  From Pakistan: A displaced mother suffers for her child's wellbeing
CWS

•  Pakistan update: Merlin’s team treating up to 2,000 patients a day
Merlin - UK

•  World Refugee Day: Pakistan's displaced face second crisis as diseases soar
Islamic Relief - UK

•  Shirani's story in Sri Lanka: Recovering from a double disaster
IFRC - Switzerland

•  On World Refugee Day, the population of Dadaab camps approaches 300,000
CARE International - UK

MORE >>

Latest news

•  Chilean to head UN's Bhutto assassination inquiry

•  Online - Blog post - Hidden lives: refugees in the cities

•  KENYA: A growing refugee crisis

•  Farming and fishing folk return to villages in parts of north-west Sri Lanka

•  Aid gets into Sri Lanka camps, few people get out-UN

MORE >>

[ Any views expressed in this article are those of the writer and not of Reuters. ]

Background information

Briefings
Pakistan violence - [Who works where]

Topics
Refugees & displacement Working in Relief
Facts & figures
Pakistan
Statistics graphs
Refugees residing here (2007)
Chart for Refugees residing here
View more stats

Related articles

Breaking stories
 Chilean to head UN's Bhutto assassination inquiry (1 minute ago)

Online - Blog post - Hidden lives: refugees in the cities (1 minute ago)

AlertNet insight
 Q+A with U.N. refugee chief Antonio Guterres (1 minute ago)

Aid agency news feed
 From Pakistan: A displaced mother suffers for her child's wellbeing (1 minute ago)

Blogs
 Homeless in the mountains of Pakistan (1 minute ago)

Maps
 Menik Farm IDP Shelter Map (Zones 0 - 3) Vavuniya District, Sri Lanka (1 minute ago)


Del.icio.us Del.icio.us  |   Digg Digg  |   NewsVine NewsVine  |   Reddit Reddit   
Thumb for /thefacts/imagerepository/RTRPICT/2009-06-19T183527Z_01_AAL105_RTRIDSP_2_PAKISTAN-BUNER_mainimage.jpg|/thenews/pictures/AAL105.htm
Thumb for /thefacts/imagerepository/RTRPICT/2009-06-19T183337Z_01_AAL104_RTRIDSP_2_PAKISTAN-BUNER_mainimage.jpg|/thenews/pictures/AAL104.htm
Thumb for /thefacts/imagerepository/RTRPICT/2009-06-19T154207Z_01_ISL202_RTRIDSP_2_PAKISTAN-BUNER_mainimage.jpg|/thenews/pictures/ISL202.htm
Thumb for /thefacts/imagerepository/RTRPICT/2009-06-19T143618Z_01_ISL02_RTRIDSP_2_PAKISTAN-CLERIC_mainimage.jpg|/thenews/pictures/ISL02.htm
Thumb for /thefacts/imagerepository/RTRPICT/2009-06-19T075405Z_01_AAL103_RTRIDSP_2_PAKISTAN-VIOLENCE_mainimage.jpg|/thenews/pictures/AAL103.htm

Men sit along a river running through Mardan district, about 150 km (93 miles) northwest of Pakistan's capital Islamabad, June 19, 2009. Pakistanis who fled fighting between the army and the ...


More pictures | Galleries
Disclaimers |  Copyright |  Privacy |  Contact Us |  Feedback |  About Us |  RSS XML

Last updated:Fri Jun 19 18:57:22 2009