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.