The United Nations Representative in Pakistan on Thursday said that out of the total $680 million pledged by the international community for Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs), only $479 million have been received so far and remaining 30 percent of the pledges are still awaited.
The Representative urged the international community to come up with fresh pledges and pay the already pledges amount before 2010 to help the displaced persons of South Waziristan. Addressing a press conference in Islamabad, the UN Humanitarian Co-ordinator Martin Mogwanja sought foolproof security arrangement for the UN staff to ensure continuation of the humanitarian activities in the war zone.
Due to security reasons, no foreign staff member of the UN is present in DI Khan and Tank and relief activities are being carried out with the help of other agencies. He, however, said that the UN team would continue the relief activities for the Internal Displaced Persons (IDPs) despite security concerns. He also said that the UN is much concerned about the safety and security of the civilian stuck up in the war zone of South Waziristan. He urged the government and the security forces to work for minimising civilian causalities during the on going operation in different parts of troubled NWFP and ensure their safe exodus.
Giving detail about the IDPs, he said that more than 46,000 families (about 330,000 people) have now been registered in DI Khan and Tank, of which particulars of 22,600 families (about 165,000 people) have so far been verified. The verification process is underway but it indicates that about 17 percent of people could be ineligible due to multiple registration like issues.
Assistant Representative of UNCHR in Pakistan Kilian Kleinschmidt said that there are currently no camps in these two districts, however, the government of Pakistan should decide to establish camps, the humanitarian community stands ready to assist with tents, site preparation, water and sanitation and other services. He said that the UNCHR would distribute over 30000 tents to the displaced families in DI Khan and Tank.
There are six registration points (five in DI Khan and one in Tank) that are administered by the Social Welfare Department of NWFP and supported by UNHCR through its local partner, he maintained. World Food Program Deputy Country Director, Dominique Frankefort said that since the Food Cluster started distributing food in DI Khan and Tank, around 125,000 IDPs from South Waziristan have been provided with 4,000 tons of food.
There are two food distribution hubs in DI Khan and one in Tank, he added. Giving details about the IDPs in camps, the UN representatives said that re-screening of IDPs in Katcha Garhi and Jalozai Camps in Peshawar and Nowshera respectively have shown that only about two-thirds of the registered population was actually living inside the camp.
The rest was living elsewhere or had left without notifying the camp authorities. According to the PDMA, more than 237,180 families, (around 1.66 million people) have returned home since September 8 and this means that almost two-thirds of the 2.7 million people (382,950 families) that were registered as internally displaced persons or IDPs have returned to their homes.
The commissionerate of Afghan Refugees reports that end October, 16,100 families or about 89,000 individuals are still living in 11 camps. Of these, 11,700 families or 66,000 individuals are from Bajaur Agency, where renewed military operations force people to flee again.
Since 14 October, WFP and its partners have distributed 12,000 million tons of food to about 836,000 individuals residing in both camps and with host families. Three new hubs are now operational in Swat District, bringing to 32 the total number of humanitarian hubs. Three hubs in Bajaur Agency are temporarily closed because of security.