1.9 million internally displaced by violence in Pakistan: report

Around 907,000 people fled from their homes as a result of counter-insurgency operations in 2014

As of 2014, at least 1.9 million people have been internally displaced by conflict and violence in Pakistan alone. 

According to the Global Overview 2015, released by Norwegian Refugee Council, 38 million people around the world were forced to live in displacement within the borders of their own country.

PHOTO COURTESY: GLOBAL INDEX 2015

Pakistan topped the list of such countries in South Asia, mainly due to the counter-insurgency operations carried out in North Wazisristan and Khyber agencies. Around 907,000 people fled from their homes as a result of these operations in 2014, while the number stood at 140,000 in 2013.

“Most chose to stay with host communities rather than in camps, in part because taking refuge in government-run sites makes them a target for Pakistani Taliban and their allied insurgent groups," the report added.

It was clear that nearly all new displacement occurred in Pakistan, India, Afghanistan and the Philippines.

PHOTO COURTESY: GLOBAL INDEX 2015

Funding for international humanitarian work has also been dwindling.

"A lack of funding for programming in Pakistan means that both international aid and government assistance tend to prioritise people newly displaced over those living in protracted displacement, perpetuating the latter’s plight," the report added.