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Today's Paper | December 27, 2024

Updated 04 Jul, 2014 02:17pm

575,000 IDPs registered in Bannu; relief efforts in progress

BANNU: Commissioner of Bannu, Syed Mohsin Ali, held a media briefing on Friday to share the details of ongoing relief efforts for the Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) in the wake of Operation Zarb-i-Azb.

The commissioner said that three registration points were established for the registration of people coming from different areas of North Waziristan, adding that the supply for food and other necessities had already began in the area.

So far 575,000 people had been registered, Ali said, adding that more than 28,000 families had received financial assistance.

He also told the briefing that aid was coming from all over the country to facilitate relief efforts.

An army officer, Brigadier Aftab, also spoke to the media on the occasion and said that the military had already distributed food rations to 70 per cent of the families.

"40,000 families have received ration," the military official said adding that "in the coming days, the Baka Khel camp would be transformed into a model camp."

The official requested the IDPs residing in cities to come to the Baka Khel camp.

Aftab informed that Ramazan packages has been distributed to 90 per cent of the families, adding that Eid packages would be distributed from today.

Pakistan began Zarb-i-Azb, a long-awaited military offensive aimed at eliminating Taliban militants from their stronghold in the North Waziristan tribal district, in June following a brazen attack on the country's busiest airport in Karachi.

The operation, involving air strikes, tanks and heavy artillery has forced the exodus of a large number of people, mainly to the nearby town of Bannu just outside the tribal zone.

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