Plight of Bara IDPs

Published November 1, 2011

THE military's crackdown on militants belonging to the Lashkar-i-Islam group in Khyber Agency's Bara area has sent internally displaced persons from the region heading towards the Jalozai refugee camp. The provincial authorities have clearly been swamped by the sheer numbers: reports say 3,500 families have sought IDP status while around 6,000 people have been granted the status thus far. Residents of the camp say food stocks are low, while according to the Provincial Disaster Management Authority there is enough food. Yet what is most disturbing is that the local administration has restricted aid to two tribes, disallowing others from sheltering at the camp. The authorities say that only the Sipah and Malik Din Khel tribes have been affected by the military crackdown, while members of other tribes insist they have also been uprooted due to the hostilities.

It goes without saying that assisting IDPs should be a non-discriminatory affair. The local administration needs to reconsider its decision of restricting aid to certain tribes. It is welcome that the PDMA recently cleared 900 families for IDP status after briefly suspending the registration process due to the considerable load. However, state assistance needs to be extended to all those genuinely affected by the crackdown, especially since it was the local administration which ordered them to leave their native areas. With winter fast approaching, it is essential that all those displaced by the crackdown in Bara are provided adequate food, shelter and other basic necessities, as well as healthcare. The federal government must coordinate with the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa authorities to ensure these people are accommodated while international relief agencies, especially the UN refugee agency, must help the state deal with the influx of IDPs until it is safe enough for them to return to their native areas.

Opinion

Editorial

Closed doors
Updated 08 Jan, 2025

Closed doors

The nation’s fate has been decided through secret deals for too long, with the result that the citizenry has become increasingly alienated from the state.
Debt burden
08 Jan, 2025

Debt burden

THE federal government’s total debt stock soared by above 11pc year-over-year to Rs70.4tr at the end of November,...
GB power crisis
08 Jan, 2025

GB power crisis

MASS protests are not a novelty in Pakistan, and when the state refuses to listen through the available channels —...
Fragile peace
Updated 07 Jan, 2025

Fragile peace

Those who have lost loved ones, as well as those whose property has been destroyed in the clashes, must get justice.
Captive power cut
07 Jan, 2025

Captive power cut

THE IMF’s refusal to relax its demand for discontinuation of massively subsidised gas supplies to mostly...
National embarrassment
Updated 07 Jan, 2025

National embarrassment

The global eradication of polio is within reach and Pakistan has no excuse to remain an outlier.