As Pakistanis Continue to Flee the Violence, Government and Aid Agencies Respond

Heat, Overcrowding, And Strain On Host Family, Friends Continue To Concern
Relief Groups

ISLAMABAD, May 11 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Over the past 24 hours, World
Vision, other international aid agencies, local partners and the Pakistani
government have engaged in a coordinated effort to respond to the influx of
refugees fleeing the Swat valley every day.

"We are seeing new waves of refugees fleeing their homes and arriving in the
camps and other temporary shelters each day. In order to bring quick,
effective relief to the people of Pakistan, we are working in coordination
with the United Nations, other aid agencies, and the Pakistani government to
provide aid to those who need it most," said Graham Strong, World Vision's
national director in Pakistan. "Right now, we must continue to stay focused on
our first priority--helping the people of the Swat valley."

Earlier today, a UN coordination meeting was held with international aid
agencies like World Vision, representatives from Pakistan's National Disaster
Management Agency (NDMA) and other local partners. Right now, the biggest
concerns remain the searing heat that makes life in the tents uncomfortable,
the potential for overcrowding within the camps, and the growing daily strain
on "host communities." Host communities are friends, relatives, guest houses,
and other government shelters that are set up in the communities around the
camps to help absorb the influx of new refugees every day.

Preliminary reports from the field have found that between 70 and 80 percent
of the displaced people are living in these host communities, putting an even
greater strain on families that are already living in poverty and have very
little capacity to provide for their rapidly growing households. There is a
desperate need to provide assistance to those living in host communities so
that people don't begin to compete for scarce resources or move to already
crowded camps.

"There is human suffering on a massive scale, and it's getting worse. Even
with the well-functioning camps and their present effective management and
coordination, a rapid movement of even more displaced people could lead to
challenges," said Jeff Hall, World Vision's deputy director for advocacy in
the Middle East, Eastern Europe and Central Asia. "The camps are well
organized, but there's no comfort in a refugee camp."

Men, women, and children are still arriving every day in the camps, and more
are expected to come as the conflict unfolds. World Vision has finished its
preliminary assessments from the Jalala camp in Mardan and the Chota Lahore
camp in Swabi and is preparing to ramp up its relief and response efforts. The
aid agency has set up a temporary office in Peshawar, the provincial capital
of the Northwest Frontier Province, in order to be closer to the camps and
respond quickly. The farthest camp is about one hour's drive from Peshawar.
Later this week, World Vision will begin distributing non-food items such as
pots, pans and cooking supplies to families in need in both the camps and the
host communities.

To make a donation to World Vision's relief work in Pakistan, please call
1-888-56-CHILD (1-888-562-4453) or go to www.worldvision.org.

SOURCE World Vision

Laura Blank, +1-646-245-2496, lblank@worldvision.org, or Casey Calamusa,
+1-206-310-5476, ccalamus@worldvision.org, both of World Vision