Inside the camps, IDPs are living in tents which were more or less tolerable in the fall but not warm enough in this cold winter season. This has led to an increase in illnesses this season. Also, it is rather uncomfortable for a family of 6-10 people to live in the same tent. Such a crowded environment is potentially harmful to family members since it promotes the spread of respiratory diseases.

 To learn more about the project or to view project photos, click here.

 

Relief Aid Reaches the People of SWAT
Friday, July 10, 2009

As the humanitarian crisis in Swat, Pakistan continues, many people can breathe a small sigh of relief knowing that they have the basic supplies to get them through the next couple of weeks. In the past week, IDRF and SRSP delivered non-food emergency supplies such as blankets, towels and basic hygiene supplies (soap, antiseptic, sanitary napkins, etc.) to IDPs (Internally Displaced Persons) from the Swat, Bunner, and Dir districts. The bulk aid delivered is expected to supply over 1,000 families with emergency supplies.

Since the army began an offensive against the Taliban in their bastion of Swat, a former tourist valley northwest of Islamabad, an estimated 2 million people have been displaced from their homes and are now residing with families and friends in “host communities” or in camps set up for IDPs. Although hundreds of thousands of IDPs are expected to return to their homes in various parts of North West Frontier Province (NWFP) in the coming weeks, no official date has been set by the government for their return.

In the coming weeks, IDRF will be extending support to IDPs for emergency supplies. Stay tuned for further updates in the coming week and be sure to read the SRSP update from the field which follows on the next page. Masood Ul Mulk, CEO of IDRF operational partner SRSP, provides donors with a realistic image of what life is like on the ground in Pakistan.

To view images of the aid being distributed, please click on the image below:

*Factual updates courtesy of SRSP, Reuters, and IRIN news.

 

Swat News from the Ground
Friday, July 10, 2009

Our latest update from Masood Ul Mulk, CEO of IDRF operational partner SRSP on the ground in Pakistan, bringing IDRF relief to Swat Valley war-affected people:

“The present displacement is the second displacement of population. The first had taken place the previous year when people had moved out of tribal areas of Bajaur and Momand and over five hundred of these had found refuge in camps and host families spread over five districts. The Social Welfare Department of the government had undertaken the responsibility of registering the IDPs. In the first phase this was done pretty well because the speed at which the IDPs came was slow and spread over many days. Unfortunately the present phase was a deluge making it impossible for the Department to register effectively. As a result, the numbers got inflated as people registered themselves at different registration points repeatedly trying to get more and more food and non food items. The government had to eventually ask the National Registration Authority to come in and clean the data on the basis of national identity cards; As a result of this process it is estimated that the correct figures for the displaced people would be around two million and not over three million as was being initially quoted. It is now estimated that over ninety percent of these are based in private homes, rented quarters and in the fields in sheds etc while the remaining are in schools and camps established by government.

“The camps have been generally well-managed, but are not well protected against the heat wave that now hits this place and makes life in tents very difficult as these people have come from a cold climate and have no experience of living in such heat. The situation in the field has been much more difficult. The population has been widespread and dispersed across the length and breadth of the districts of Peshawar, Charsadda, Mardan and Swabi and Nowshera with the majority concentrated in the districts of Mardan and Swabi.

“SRSP’s response to this crisis has been at two levels. At the first level we have been part of what I would call the overall response to address issues. SRSP has partnered with UNHCR to distribute non food items to the displaced people at the distribution points established by the government where World Food Programme also distributes food. The entire work of UNHCR in the field is implemented by SRSP; This is important because after the bomb blast which killed UN personnel in Peshawar it’s almost impossible for UN Staff to be based here in Peshawar and even cluster meetings now take place in Islamabad which is more than two hours travelling time from Peshawar. SRSP has helped distribute Non Food Items (NFIs) to over 60,000 families which mean that another 37,000 families have been added in the present phase. The distribution of NFIs has been slower than anticipated for a number of reasons. Firstly the registration problems made UNHCR slow down the process and secondly there was a delay in arranging the supplies by UNHCR. Another issue has been that the items in the supplies to each family have not been kept the same because of the supply problems. Only a week ago the supplies have been ensured and the items provided to each household are now a complete set. On the food side World Food Programme has been responsible and has provided the basic food items at the distribution points.

“The problems encountered in the field have changed rapidly in the course of this crisis:

“In the initial days we were under huge pressure to find places of refuge for the displaced people. Accurate information had to be disseminated to those on the move and transportation provided if people did not find space in the camps to which they were directed.

“In the second phase SRSP has tried to reach communities that have been not been helped by the government or other agencies.

“The third phase was the gathering of accurate information and lobbying to change the number of registration points and distribution points to make it easier for people to register and get access to supplies.

“The fourth is to cater for special needs and vulnerable groups like children and women and those households who could not get their requirements or were unable to reach the right quarters to get help. This is where we have looked for help from donors like IDRF and local philanthropy to help. The work by UN agencies focuses on scale and hence uniformity. It is this diversity that we try to address with programmes like those of IDRF. It’s not about scale but special and diverse needs.

“We have also acted as a facilitator and provided a warehouse and information sharing mechanisms for local philanthropists to come and assist the needy population.

“We do not live in normal times over here. Most of us don’t even know if we would return to our homes in the evening either killed by one miscreant or kidnapped for ransom. Gender is a big priority for us and we have programmes in the camps which cater for women like skill development centres and child friendly spaces. We also of course continue to include goods and items for distribution which cater for the needs of women and children.

“As we look forward, the government is already announcing plans for return of the displaced people to their home districts beginning with the districts of Buner and followed by other districts. This is a process which would take over four months. In the meantime as the monsoons come in the need for medicines, protection against rains and flooding become important in camps. We are also starting to plan for early recovery and thinking of livelihoods (seed, fertilizers) restocking of livestock, poultry and rebuilding of enabling infrastructure (irrigation channels, drinking water projects and repair of schools which are built and maintained by the communities).

“A new theatre of war has opened up in the south with the war now being extended to Waziristan. It’s not, however, known if humanitarian agencies will be allowed to operate there.”

 

 

 

News Story from the Field –Swat, Pakistan
June 25, 2009

Masood Ul Mulk, CEO of IDRF operational partner SRSP, bringing IDRF relief to Swat Valley war-affected people:

“I have just been travelling up in the north. A road that took us nine hours in the past took us twenty six hours to reach our destination. That is how war has started to take it toll over here.

 

*IDRF support will provide buckets, mugs, mattresses, bed sheets, pillows, towels, soap, plates, cutlery, cooking pots, propane gas for cooking and lighting, water filtration and other personal items to people who have had to flee their homes and leave everything behind.

Check back soon for more Swat Updates!

*Picture courtesy of SRSP

PLEASE DONATE GENEROUSLY
All donations to IDRF are Tax Deductable.

Call IDRF at 416-497-0818 or Toll Free: 1-866-497-IDRF
Or CLICK HERE to make a secure online donation marked ‘Swat Relief '

 To learn more about the project or to view project photos, click here. 

 

Swat, Pakistan -UN Official Appeals for More Support
June 23, 2009

IDRF continues to monitor the situation in Swat, Pakistan and to provide relief aid to the displaced families. The United Nations has reported that the severity of the situation continues to intensify. In the coming months, shelters need to be adapted to cope with the changing seasons. In addition, host families' needs must be taken into account so that they are able to support  displaced families and friends who are staying with them. The severity of this humanitarian crisis can be seen in the excerpts below.

DUBAI, 22 June 2009 (IRIN) - The UN Secretary-General's special humanitarian envoy, Abdelaziz Arrukban, after a two-day fact-finding mission to Pakistan, has urged Gulf countries and others to step up support for hundreds of thousands of internally displaced persons (IDPs) in northwestern Pakistan."

I visited IDPs living in camps, schools and with host families in the Mardan area [North West Frontier Province]. The conditions they are living in are very tough. People are struggling to cope with the heat, lack of adequate water and sanitation, and there are entire families living in one tent or a small room," Arrukban told IRIN from Islamabad.

IDRF is working with local partners to meet the needs of IDPs. The situation is being re-evaluated daily to recognize the needs of IDPs and the actions IDRF needs to take to help them deal with their sudden state of homelessness. Please continue to generously support this project in the coming months to ensure these disadvantaged individuals receive the care they need in the hot, humid months ahead.

“Some people carried bundles of spinach, a child carried his family's only hen, some had their goat and sheep with them. Most had nothing.”
IDRF Partner SRSP, as quoted by BBC

IDRF has sent $20,000 to our partner SRSP (Sarhad Rural Support Programme), to help with desperately needed relief aid, such as food, water, blankets and medical supplies.

In addition, IDRF has partnered with Mir Khalil-ur-Rehman Foundation to raise funds for Pukar initiative.

With your generous donations, IDRF and a number of its partners will help the people of Swat in Pakistan as they cope with their sudden state of homelessness.