France sends relief goods to Bajaur

The French Government has provided relief goods to 12000 internally displaced people of Bajaur Agency who fled the area for the camps set-up in Dir Lower, Malakand and Mardan after security forces operation against the militants. The IDPs have been provided with food including dates for Iftar, blankets and hygiene items such as soap and washing powder for clothes.
A ceremony to this effect was held in a camp of Mardan, attended by the District Co-ordination, Mubashir Hussain on Wednesday. The ACO praised France and the NGO for their contribution to the relief efforts.
France rushed to deliver a relief package to the people of Bajaur who fled the area for the camps set up in Lower Dir, Malakand and Mardan, said a spokesman of French Embassy, while talking to APP. France is currently considering options to provide a major development package in the field of health to Fata, he concluded.
The French government decided to focus on food assistance, through an NGO already work in the area that also distributed cooking utensils to the families in need, he added.
The relief packages have been distributed in camps in Lower Dir, Mardan and Malakand to families stranded in camps for the holy month of Ramzan because their houses were destroyed or because they can not afford the trip back home.
Over 1000 families are now able to cook their own food and stop relying on daily distributions in the camps, he maintained. France's objective is to help those families regain senses of normalcy during the holy month's celebration.
Bibi Jamali is a 35 year-old housewife and mother of six children said how difficult it was to leave Bajaur when the fighting started; "My whole family rushed out of the house with nothing in our hands and no means of transportation. I had to walk several kilometers pushing my small children along. Now that we are in a camp, I am just living to look after my kids who are hungry and suffering from diarrhea. After almost 20 days, I am finally able to cook food for my children. I felt good when I saw the smiles on my children faces after their first home-cooked meal.
I don't know how to thank those who gave my family this support during our time of hardship." says Jamali. The socio-economic situation in Fata is worrying: there is a dire need for a significant improvement in the development of the tribal belt.