Fighting in Pakistan has forced over 1.4 million people from their homes. There are huge gaps in meeting the needs of these people.
Caritas members on the ground are already delivering aid, and are now looking to expand their operations as the humanitarian crisis grows.
At least 85 percent of the people who have fled fighting between government forces and armed groups in North-West Frontier Province are living with host families. The remainder are mostly in camps.
"The camps are overcrowded and people suffer from heat. The elderly cannot stand the heat and children suffer because of the deteriorating hygienic condition. Summer approaches and the temperature can go as high as 53 degrees," said Eric Dayal, National Crisis Coordinator for Caritas Pakistan on returning from a visit to two camps in the Mardan district.
Caritas is scaling up.
Caritas Pakistan have identified gaps in health as well as the need for tents. They aim to support 3000 families in Mardan and Hassan Abdal.
Cordaid (Caritas in the Netherlands) is focusing on quality primary health care for people living in host communities. They’re targeting 150,000 people in Mardan, Swabi, and Charsadda.
CRS (a Caritas member in the US) will initially provide vouchers so families can acquire shelter materials to meet their own needs in Mardan and Swabi. In addition, CRS will provide cash-for-work to meet a gap in income resulting from livelihood loss.
Caritas Switzerland will work in Mardan and Thesil Mardan providing food, hygiene items and cooking kits for 3.500 affected families living in host communities. The project will be implemented by Caritas Switzerland’s long standing working partner Anatolian Development Foundation, Turkey (ADF).
Trocaire (Caritas Ireland) will focus on host communities and the people living with them, working through established humanitarian partners, including Rural Development Program (RDP) and Pakistan Village Development Program (PVDP), in Peshawar, Swabi, Abbotabad, and Mansehra. Partners will focus on emergency livelihoods support in the form of cash grants or vouchers and protection of women and children in host communities.
For more information, please contact Patrick Nicholson on 0039 334 359 0700 or nicholson@caritas.va
[ Any views expressed in this article are those of the writer and not of Reuters. ]
A man sells potatoes in Buner District, about 190 km (118 miles) north west of Pakistan's capital Islamabad May 20, 2009. Pakistani soldiers have nearly cleared the Taliban from a district ...
