The large number of children fleeing fighting in Pakistan has sparked serious concerns for their welfare. Plan has just released US$100,000 of emergency funds to help the estimated 1,000,000 people who are trying to escape the conflict between Taleban and government forces in the North West Frontier Province.
An unusually high number of the displaced who are flooding into refugee camps and towns are children - thought to be up to 70% in some areas. The North West Frontier Province authorities have said there could be an additional 500,000 displaced people from the conflict areas.
Plan said facilities in the 18 camps which have been set up in various locations in the Mardan, Nowshera, Peshawar, Charsadda and Swabi districts are not sufficient to cope with the massive influx of people.
State of shock
"Most of these people are in a state of shock from the firing and shelling they have experienced," said the Country Director of Plan in Pakistan Haider Waseem Yaqub.
"Children especially still feel frightened in the camps and cry when there is a loud noise.
"The community in the camp is getting further distressed mentally, emotionally and physically since there is a lack of basic necessities, especially food, medicine and electricity.
"Children are the most vulnerable as they have lots of needs. They are under great trauma and need special attention but there are no special arrangements for them. There are lots of girls and boys who now have no safe place to go."
Child-friendly areas
One of Plan's aims is to set up child-safe and friendly areas in the camps where trauma counsellors can help affected children - exercises that proved successful in the Pakistan Earthquake of 2005.
Plan staff in Pakistan said they are also worried that people who have been driven from their homes by the fighting will struggle with their temporary living conditions. Many had walked great distances on foot carrying their few belongings and many experienced problems finding the camps.
[ Any views expressed in this article are those of the writer and not of Reuters. ]
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