Date published: 14 May 2009
World Vision, other international aid agencies, local partners, and the Pakistani government are working together to respond to the influx of refugees fleeing the Swat valley every day, due to intense fighting between militant groups and the Pakistani forces.
“We are seeing new waves of refugees fleeing their homes and arriving in the camps and other temporary shelters each day. In order to bring quick, effective relief to the people of Pakistan, we are working in coordination with the UN, other aid agencies, and the Pakistani government to provide aid to those who need it most,” said Graham Strong, World Vision's National Director in Pakistan. “Right now, we must continue to stay focused on our first priority - helping the people of the Swat valley.”
A United Nations coordination meeting has been held with international aid agencies including World Vision, representatives from Pakistan's National Disaster Management Agency (NDMA), and other local partners. The biggest concerns remain the searing heat that makes life in the tents uncomfortable, the potential for overcrowding within the camps, and the growing daily strain on “host communities” which are the friends, relatives, guest houses, and other government shelters set up in the communities around the camps to help absorb the influx of new refugees every day.
Reports from the field have found that between 70 and 80 percent of the displaced people are living in host communities, putting an even greater strain on families that are already living in poverty. There is a desperate need to provide assistance to those living in host communities so that people don't begin to compete for scarce resources or move to already crowded camps.
"There is human suffering on a massive scale, and it's getting worse. Even with the well-functioning camps and their present effective management and coordination, a rapid movement of even more displaced people could lead to challenges," said Jeff Hall, World Vision’s deputy director for advocacy in the Middle East, Eastern Europe and Central Asia. "The camps are well organized, but there's no comfort in a refugee camp."
Men, women, and children are still arriving every day in the camps, and more are expected to come as the conflict unfolds. World Vision has finished its preliminary assessments from the Jalala camp in Mardan and the Chota Lahore camp in Swabi and is preparing to ramp up its relief and response efforts. A temporary office has been set up in Peshawar, the provincial capital of the Northwest Frontier Province, in order to be closer to the camps and allow for faster response time.
Later this week, World Vision will begin distributing non-food items such as pots, pans and cooking supplies to families in need in both the camps and the host communities.