Thousands of displaced unlikely to return in north Pakistan

(August 20, 2009) Thousands of people displaced by war in northern Pakistan are unlikely to be able to return home before March next year, the head of the United Nations humanitarian operation said on Thursday. About 2.3 million people were forced from their homes by fighting in the northwest, most after government forces launched an offensive against Taliban militants in Swat in April, creating one of the largest internal displacements in recent times. Languishing in overcrowded camps or sheltering with host families, the internally displaced have been living a hand-to-mouth existence, dependent on aid agencies for everything from food and water to clothes and shelter. Manuel Bessler, head of the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), said that while about 1.3 million people had returned home to various districts including Swat, others would stay in camps or with families because of fighting. The government has widespread public support for the offensive against the militants, but this could dwindle if the displaced are seen to be suffering though the winter. Bessler said even when the displaced get home, they will need support in trying to rebuild their livelihoods as many farmers were unable to harvest their crops and have lost their annual income. Many schools, which both militants and soldiers used as bases, have been destroyed and there is a pressing need to furnish hospitals and clinics with basic health equipment, medicine and staff.