NWaziristan exodus: Safron hands Rs0.346b to IDPs

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has been updated on the status of management and facilitation for the internally displaced persons (IDPs) through a report submitted to him.

According to the report all federal institutions are coordinating effectively for the management of IDPs.

The institutions operating under the demand of the premier include the Ministry of States and Frontier Regions (SAFRON), Pakistan Army, National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), FATA Disaster Management Authority (FDMA), National Database & Registration Authority (NADRA) and Water and Power Development Authority (WAPDA).

The report further briefed that so far, 28,846 families have been provided with cash while total cash distributed by SAFRON stands at Rs346,152 million. Further financial assistance will be distributed through mobile phone SIM card. So far 27,767 SIMs have been distributed out of which more than 15,000 have been activated.

The facilities at registration and facilitation points include waiting areas, water, ambulances, NADRA facilitation points, refreshment boxes with mineral water and dates for all arriving families as well as provision of polio vaccine.

A camp for IDPs has also been established. Initially, the site of the camp was selected at Bannu-Indus Highway Link Road. However, it has been shifted to Baka Khel near Baran Dam on the insistence of law enforcement agencies.

Since the shifting of the site, FDMA has created six shelters, ten water storage tanks, pitched 2,000 tents and provided electricity and health and polio vaccination facilities at the camp along with distributing food ration packs.