Reuters AlertNet Lite - Relief for 350,000 displaced but needs still great in Pakistan’s troubled north-west

Reuters AlertNet Full site

FROM THE FIELD

Relief for 350,000 displaced but needs still great in Pakistan’s troubled north-west

25 Jan 2010 12:13:37 GMT
Source: World Vision Middle East/Eastern Europe/ Central Asia office

Previous | Next

IDPs arrive at a camp set up for the displaced, though the majority have found refuge in host communities. Photo by Jeff Hall.
World Vision MEERO, http://meero.worldvision.org

Background

• Food and hunger

• Pakistan violence

• Children

MORE >>

Some 356,300 Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in Pakistan's Northwest Frontier Province (NWFP) have received emergency relief assistance and food provisions from World Vision through the Church World Service (CWS) and the World Food Programme (WFP) in an effort to meet their immediate needs and relieve some of the burden being borne by poor but generous host families.

The conflict between government forces and the Taliban militants that triggered the displacement of more than 2.5 million people from Swat, Dir and Buner districts in May and June 2009 may be over, but daily life remains a challenge for the returning population.

World Vision Pakistan responded by providing emergency relief support in Buner and Lower Dir Districts through water and sanitation interventions, providing household items, food aid, Child Friendly Spaces, shelter kits, livelihood support, primary health care services and cash vouchers to IDPs and host families.

Food rations are currently being distributed to 60,000 households every month in Buner district in partnership with the World Food Programme and water purification packets are distributed to ensure the displaced have clean drinking water. Fifty-two communal water sources have been rehabilitated in various villages benefitting 36,000 people.

Meanwhile, in partnership with the CWS, World Vision has distributed 900 hygiene kits, 900 family kits and 2,700 blankets to some 6,570 IDPs in Dera Ismail Khan district who have fled separate conflicts in South Waziristan. Military restrictions on movement and humanitarian activities by international organisations in the area continue to pose challenges.

Assistance is now shifting from emergency relief to livelihood and economic recovery as displaced communities return to their homes. World Vision is currently working to assist some 86,400 people through Cash for Work activities and other agricultural activities, operating out of offices in Buner and Lower Dir.

Over the coming months most of the IDPs will continue to need humanitarian assistance, specifically shelter, food, water and sanitation and the delivery of basic social services including health and education.

As the frontlines shift towards other troubled parts of Pakistan on the Afghan border, tens of thousands of people are likely to be displaced joining those already taking refuge in poor communities. Any significant increase in the number of displaced persons could lead to a further deterioration of the current conditions.

-Ends-

Other relief interventions to date:

Shelter kits provided to 2312 households (23120) individuals
Water & Sanitation non-food item kits and purification kits provided to 6,500 families (65000 Individuals). Emergency support in health services provided to 600 families
1,800 cash vouchers distributed to 1,800 families
Cash for work/early recovery activities target 130,000 people in Buner
3 child friendly spaces have been established for 800 children in Buner
Child protection committees have been formed and trained in 5 communities
1,800 women have received nutrition training and livelihood support.

Future activities:

Assistance to displaced families returning to places of origin in Lower Dir and Buner districts
Continued assistance to children in crisis (street children, working children, etc)
Support to children and communities for better health, hygiene
Empower women through literacy programmes, vocational training and improved agricultural techniques
Create sustainable livelihoods with respect for the environment – through organic farming and tree plantation
Awareness raising regarding HIV and AIDS, and support for people and families affected
Continued advocacy work in areas related to child well-being

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

Email this article Send comments

Topics

• Children

• Food and hunger

• Refugees & displacement

MORE >>

Emergencies

• Pakistan violence

MORE >>

Members

• World Vision Middle East/Eastern Europe/ Central Asia office

MORE >>

NGO latest

• Relief for 350,000 displaced but needs still great in Pakistan’s troubled north-west
World Vision Middle East/Eastern Europe/ Central Asia

• Save the Children's Mobile Health Teams and Clinics Reach 85,000 Haitians
Save the Children - International Alliance

• Yemen: ICRC warns that situation in north worse than ever, urges greater respect for civilians
ICRC - Switzerland

• Aid groups getting out supplies, but challenges remain at distribution sites
World Vision - USA

• Save the Children Teams Traveling Across Haiti's Earthquake Zone to Ensure the Protection of Children
Save the Children - International Alliance

MORE >>

Latest news

• YEMEN: Child trafficking to Saudi Arabia down in 2009

• Afghan conference "decisive moment" - UK's Miliband

• U.S. commander sees eventual Taliban peace deal

• Britain gives Ethiopia $6.4 mln for child nutrition

• FACTBOX-Security developments in Pakistan, Jan 25

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

Children

Food and hunger

Refugees & displacement

Facts & figures

Pakistan

Statistics graphs

Refugees residing here (2008)

View more stats >>

Breaking stories

YEMEN: Child trafficking to Saudi Arabia down in 2009 (1 minute ago)

Afghan conference "decisive moment" - UK's Miliband (1 minute ago)

AlertNet insight

Q+A What is the fate of the Hmongs deported from Thailand? (1 minute ago)

Aid agency news feed

Relief for 350,000 displaced but needs still great in Pakistan’s troubled north-west (1 minute ago)

Blogs

Africa, the Middle East to see worrisome food shortages, maps predict (1 minute ago)

Maps

Overview of IDP Concentrations in Port-au-Prince and Carrefour, Haiti (Update 2) (1 minute ago)

Del.icio.us | Digg

Digg |

NewsVine | Reddit

Latest images

Thumb for /thefacts/imagerepository/RTRPICT/2010-01-25T053840Z_01_WAS28_RTRIDSP_2_QUAKE-HAITI_mainimage.jpg|/thenews/pictures/WAS28.htm

Thumb for /thefacts/imagerepository/RTRPICT/2010-01-25T051814Z_01_WAS20_RTRIDSP_2_QUAKE-HAITI_mainimage.jpg|/thenews/pictures/WAS20.htm

Thumb for /thefacts/imagerepository/RTRPICT/2010-01-25T050344Z_01_WAS16_RTRIDSP_2_QUAKE-HAITI_mainimage.jpg|/thenews/pictures/WAS16.htm

Thumb for /thefacts/imagerepository/RTRPICT/2010-01-24T232909Z_01_WAS01_RTRIDSP_2_QUAKE-HAITI_mainimage.jpg|/thenews/pictures/WAS01.htm

Thumb for /thefacts/imagerepository/RTRPICT/2010-01-24T230705Z_01_HAI45_RTRIDSP_2_QUAKE-HAITI_mainimage.jpg|/thenews/pictures/HAI45.htm

Doctors from the U.S. Airborne tend to a child in a makeshift camp at a golf course in Port-au-Prince January 24, 2010. A magnitude-7 earthquake struck Haiti on January 12, killing ...

More pictures | Galleries

Last updated:Mon Jan 25 12:48:29 2010

Background

Topics

Emergencies

Members

NGO latest

Latest news

Background information

Related articles