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MIRAMSHAH Hundreds of families trying to flee the conflict in the Mehsud area of South Waziristan have been stranded by the fighting and blockading of roads in the region, witnesses said.
Displaced people arriving in Mirali area of North Waziristan reported hundreds of fleeing families found themselves trapped by fierce fighting between the security forces and the militants in Laddah, Zangara, Swara Rogha, Kerchkhel and Shah Welai areas of the South Waziristan Agency.
A large number of people displaced from the embattled zone have also reached Razmak in North Waziristan. Local populations of Mirali and Razmak have organised relief activities on self-help basis to assist the affected people.
A tribesman, Pir Raza Shah, told Dawn that residents of Mirali had set up a relief committee to help the people coming from South Waziristan. He said the committee was collecting donations and was providing transport to the people coming from the embattled areas via Razmak.
Pir Raza said a relief camp had been set up on self-help basis in the Mosaki area where free food and transport facilities were being provided to the affected people.
On the other hand, security forces have blocked the routes between Razmak and Makine to thwart militants' bid to escape. Residents said thousands of troops backed by tanks and artillery were stationed at their base in the Razmak town waiting for go-ahead signal.
They said security forces were pounding militants' positions in Makine from their main base in Razmak. The army has launched a three-pronged offensive against militants and Makine, one of the safe havens of the militants, is just five kilometers from Razmak.
The IDPs reaching Razmak, Datakhel, Miramshah and Mirali areas said many of the fleeing people had stuck in Laddah and other areas because of non-availability of transport. These affected families had walked to Razmak from Makine. A majority of the displaced people have taken shelter with their relatives and friends.
Sources said the people heading towards Dera Ismail Khan and Tank districts were being assisted by the local authorities with the coordination of the Special Support Group managed by the army. Roughly, over 200,000 people have left the conflict zone. Pir Raza said the government and humanitarian organisations had yet to focus on providing relief to the affected people pouring in Mirali and Miramshah.
He said local people were accommodating IDPs in their hujras and with families. He said the local people's committee would launch a vigorous campaign to extend relief to the IDPs.
Our Correspondent from D.I. Khan adds Officials said 15,500 families from South Waziristan had taken refuge in Dera Ismail Khan and the adjacent Tank district.
Authorities have set up five registration points in Dera Ismail Khan and 3,000 families have been provided with ATM cards through which each family can get Rs5,000 cash every month. An official said verification process of 95,000 IDPs had been completed.
He said 8,000 families had shifted from South Waziristan to D.I. Khan, 3,250 families had been registered in Tank and over 300 displaced families had reached Mirali.
Sources said many families had yet to get registration cards because of lack of facilities.
PPI adds At least 12,700 families of South Waziristan have been dislocated so far because of the army's offensive against Taliban.
'Up till now 12,700 affected families with 94,000 members from South Waziristan have been registered at five registration centres set up in D. I. Khan and Tanks districts,' Provincial Relief Commissioner Shakeel Qadar Khan told journalists in Peshawar on Monday.
He said 18,000 smart cards had been issued to displaced people of South Waziristan and each family would withdraw Rs5,000 a month.
