Efforts to establish a displaced persons camp in Pakistan’s Swat Valley are under threat from militants fighting the government, according to aid officials.
“At present, there is no shortage of food or tents, but without any security, people don’t want to come,” Mohammad Munir, district manager of Pakistan’s Red Crescent Society in Swat, told IRIN on 6 November from the town of Kanju, near the district capital Saidu Sharif.
On the evening of 2 November, one family arrived at the camp recently set up in the town of Barikot, 20km outside the capital, only to leave the following morning out of fear.
“The local Taliban do not want to see this camp running,” Munir said. But “there are people who are suffering and they [the Taliban] should understand our need to help them”, he added.
Swat Valley, in North West Frontier Province (NWFP), has seen an upsurge in violence between government forces and followers of Islamic religious leader Maulana Fazlullah, who are calling for a holy war against the government and the establishment of their strict version of Sharia law.
Since 24 October about 100 militants have reportedly been killed in fighting after another 2,500 troops were deployed to the area to re-establish the government’s writ.
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While there are no accurate numbers of how many people have been displaced by the fighting, estimates are in the hundreds, with most staying with relatives and friends in the area.
The announcement of emergency rule on 3 November, coupled with a further curtailment of press freedom, has made access to accurate information in Swat all but impossible for aid agencies.
According to Munir, despite ongoing threats, district authorities and Red Crescent workers managed to erect 100 tents, as well as a dispensary and reception area at the camp, which could be expanded to accommodate 5,000 families if necessary.
“There is no shortage of tents – we have another 1,000 from the provincial relief authorities,” Munir said, adding that ample stocks of food and medicines were also available.
But without sufficient security arrangements, it looks unlikely that any of the displaced will come, he said, particularly as the militants had already threatened to burn the camp if work continued.
Meanwhile, aside from the occasional shelling, there has been a lull in fighting, although there are doubts over how long it will last.
“Honest to God, nobody knows. They [the militants] have put some demands to the government. It is up to the government to accept them or not,” Munir said, adding that should the fighting stop, the need for such a camp would disappear altogether.
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This article was produced by IRIN News while it was part of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. Please send queries on copyright or liability to the UN. For more information: https://shop.un.org/rights-permissions
