- Aid Agency Completes Early Assessment, Begins Efforts To Provide Aid to
200,000
- Aid Workers Find Camps Strained Under Burden Of Incoming Refugees
SWABI, Pakistan, May 9 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Temperatures over 100
degrees Fahrenheit, overcrowding, inadequate toilets and a lack of electricity
make refugee camps in and around the North West Frontier Province (NWFP) in
Pakistan "intolerable," according to relief workers for the international aid
agency, World Vision.
"Many children and their families have walked for days to reach camps like
this one in Swabi. They have fled the fighting, left behind their livelihoods,
and arrived at the camps exhausted and afraid," said Jeff Hall, World Vision's
deputy director for advocacy in the Middle East. "Despite the coordinated
efforts of the Pakistani authorities, World Vision, and other aid agencies on
the ground, we may not be able to meet the most basic needs of the refugees as
quickly as they are arriving in the camps if it continues at this pace."
There are just over 4,000 people currently living in Chota Lahore, the camp
set up in Swabi. The majority of the refugees taking shelter at the camp are
women and children. The camp is several miles from the nearest commercial
area, so work isn't available, and it is difficult for people to purchase
basic supplies.
Many of the people in Chota Lahore have fled from the mountains of Pakistan,
and they are used to cooler climates. In Chota Lahore, the sun beats down on
the camp, sending the temperatures above 100 degrees Fahrenheit, and shade is
nearly nonexistent. The pit latrines are filling up quickly and will become
unpleasant in the summer heat. There is no electricity, and health services
are extremely limited.
Because the fighting escalated so quickly, many people had to leave everything
behind and immediately head for safety. As a result, they were forced to leave
behind their crops at harvest time, and they fear that their crops and
livestock have been destroyed in the fighting, nearly eliminating many
families' livelihoods for the next year. Some families have also reported
having to leave elderly parents behind in the conflict area because they were
not strong enough to make the difficult trip to the camps.
According to World Vision's assessment team in Swabi, the number of refugees
arriving in the camps could increase dramatically in the coming days if
hostilities are not contained, straining the already limited resources in the
region, and the camps may not be able to keep providing basic services to the
families as more and more people flee their homes.
World Vision is working alongside the local government and other aid agencies
to provide relief to an estimated 200,000 people fleeing from the violence. As
the aid agency begins to scale up its efforts, the first priority will be
food, water, and adequate shelter for the families. Intense fighting between
militant groups and the Pakistani forces in and around the Swat valley has
driven more families from their homes, adding to the 550,000 people already
displaced over the past three years of violence.
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.
About World Vision's Work In Pakistan
World Vision has been working in Pakistan since 1992, focusing on emergency
relief and response, child protection, HIV and AIDS awareness, sustainable
economic development through organic farming, health and hygiene, and
empowering women through vocational training and literacy programs.
SOURCE World Vision
Laura Blank, +1-646-245-2496 or lblank@worldvision.org or Casey Calamusa,
+1-206-310-5476 or ccalamus@worldvision.org, both of World Vision
