Life on the margins: Over 600 displaced families living sans aid in Hazara

Focal person for IDPs says neither govt nor NGOs are conducting relief efforts in the region.

ABBOTABAD:

After the launch of Operation Zarb-e-Azb in North Waziristan, millions were announced in relief packages for displaced people who began settling in the southern districts of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa. For 637 unfortunate families which made their way to the northern Hazara Division, aid has been non-existent.

The focal person for internally displaced persons (IDP) living in Hazara, Dr Sher Ayub, told The Express Tribune on Friday that following the initiation of the military operation, 527 families moved to Abbottabad and rented houses in Nawanshehr, Bilal Town, Mirpur, Nariyan and adjoining areas.

Similarly, some 80 families settled in Mansehra and 30 in Haripur district of the relatively peaceful division. However, all these families are living without food supplies and necessary household utensils, said Ayub.

Ayub added since the people of North Waziristan were given only two days to relocate, they had to leave everything behind and then their homes were surely destroyed in the operation.

“Although over two months have passed since the families settled here, both the government and non-governmental organisations have failed to support them,” said Ayub. “They deserve to be given the same kind of relief which IDPs settled in Bannu, DI Khan and Peshawar are receiving.”

He added, “They need to be looked after like the IDPs from Swat and South Waziristan were.”

“Most of these families are undergoing severe emotional trauma,” said Ayub.

“First they had to leave behind the comfort and luxury of their homes and then they had to adjust to a completely different environment without proper facilities. Add to that a feeling of humiliation.”

According to Ayub, more than 5,000 displaced women and children are living in Hazara without quilts, blankets and warm clothes, with winter right around the corner.

“Some of these women are pregnant and need medical attention,” said the focal person.

In response to a question, Ayub said some local philanthropists did distribute flour, edibles and even medicines among the displaced but that was on a small scale—insufficient for the hundreds of families with no income and no financial support.

Stressing on the need for medical care, especially for women, Ayub said a counter has been set up at the Ayub Medical Complex and the Frontier Medical College in Abbottabad for displaced people. However, owing to the conservative nature of tribal societies, many women do not visit these centres. “Women and small children need to be provided physical and mental health care facilities at their doorstep,” insisted Ayub.

He also expressed concern over the lack of schooling facilities for children.

Ayub explained since the families left in a hurry, they could not arrange for school-leaving certificates for their children and without that one document, children are not going to be able to get admission into local schools.

Ayub claimed he has been promised some support for the IDPs. “I have met the commissioner of Hazara as well as other authorities who have assured me of supporting the displaced people living here,” he added.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 30^th, 2014.