| |
The Taliban in Pakistan – descent into chaos
Numbers at a glance:
- Around 3 million people are believed to have been displaced by fighting in northwest Pakistan
- 60 percent of schools in the Swat district are completely destroyed
- There are 100,000 people in 2,000 spontaneous camps with urgent needs in water and sanitation
- Around 90% are staying with host families, friends or in schools and other communal buildings
- More than half of those displaced are children
- This is the largest population displacement Pakistan has seen since the country was created in 1947
- Nine charities (including World Vision) said they needed $42m to provide emergency supplies for hundreds of thousands of displaced people
- One month on from the start of its emergency response, World Vision has only received a fraction of the $13 million it needs to reach 300,000 of the displaced people taking refuge in host communities in Buner, Swabi and Mardan districts
What: Pakistan's western border areas are wracked by violence as separatists and pro-Taliban insurgents fight government forces to try to extend their control. Millions of people have been displaced by the fighting, many of them out of reach of aid agencies. By comparison, Darfur currently has around 1 million displaced people; whilst Pakistan has over 3 million.
Where: The main areas affected are North West Frontier Province (NWFP) and the semi-autonomous Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) which have a strong Taliban presence; and Baluchistan where separatists are seeking greater political autonomy and control over local mineral resources.
Who: The Taliban and pro-Taliban groups operating in Pakistan are fighting internal conflicts, regional wars in Afghanistan and Kashmir and, in some cases, global jihad against other countries. Some are connected with al Qaeda groups. They are loosely co-ordinated, but share resources and recruits.
Displacement: On May 6, tensions between the Pakistani Military and insurgents in Swat, Buner, and Lower Dir Districts in Northwest Frontier Province expanded into open conflict, forcing nearly 2.5 million civilians to flee their homes. These people join the nearly 600,000 who were still displaced from the 2005 earthquake, bringing the total number of displaced to approximately 3 million. Most are women and children. Almost 90% of the displaced are living in host communities who were already living in poverty before the conflict arose. Scarce resources are pushed to their limits. The sustained lack of food, water, sanitation and shelter will lead to further tension and conflict. Children are often the ones who miss out.
Children at risk: Children are the most vulnerable in any disaster and the lack of adequate shelter, food, water and healthcare places them at extreme risk. World Vision is deeply concerned about the impact upon children who have had to flee their homes. Many children had to run and hide from planes and helicopters bombing overhead. Families have walked across mountain paths for hours or days to find refuge. Many are upset and afraid and children are suffering from diarrhoea, skin infections and the psychological impact of war and displacement.
World Vision Pakistan: World Vision has been working in Pakistan since 1992, focusing on emergency relief and response, child protection, HIV and AIDS awareness, sustainable economic development through programs like organic farming, health and hygiene, and empowering women through vocational training and literacy programs. World Vision does not have child sponsorship programs in the country.
What we are doing:
- World Vision has completed assessments and identified a huge need for improved health, hygiene, education, water, and sanitation facilities both in the camps and in host communities. The vast majority of the displaced – more than two million - are taking refuge in host communities rather than in camps
- World Vision is partnering with World Food Programme to distribute food for 200,000 people in Mardan district
- World Vision has begun distributions of mattresses, pots and pans, utensils, and other basic items to some of the neediest families in host communities in villages in Buner district. WV is hoping to provide urgent humanitarian assistance that will benefit more than 300,000 people in the affected areas
- World Vision New Zealand has committed NZD$325,000 to provide food, shelter and a broad range of crucial services such as health services, water and sanitation projects, livelihoods projects and child-friendly spaces for the displaced
- World Vision has joined with Oxfam Merlin, Care, IRC Islamic Relief, Cafod Concern, Save The Children, and Action Aid to warn that the humanitarian response is in jeopardy due to the lack of funds committed to the Pakistan Humanitarian Response Plan
For more information
|
|
