The United Nations led an appeal Tuesday for millions of dollars to feed and assist more than one million people displaced by conflict in Pakistan's northwest and in border areas with Afghanistan.
The appeal focuses on funds needed to implement the Pakistan Humanitarian Response Plan (PHRP) 2010, which the United Nations, international and local aid groups have drawn up with the cash-strapped Pakistan government.
“The PHRP requires 537 million dollars for assistance over the next six months to cover the most immediate humanitarian needs,” UN humanitarian coordinator for Pakistan Martin Mogwanja said.
Last year, a total of 3.1 million people were displaced from their homes in North West Frontier Province (NWFP) and the semi-autonomous Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) along the Afghan border, the official said.
Nearly two million people have returned home, but more people are being uprooted in the districts Bajaur, Orakzai and Mohmand, which are part of Pakistan's tribal belt on the Afghan border, he added.
“Considering that the number of IDPs (Internally Displaced People) from Orakzai agency has risen nearly tenfold in the last two months, the emergency in Pakistan seems far from over,” the official told a news conference.
Money is needed for food distribution, rehabilitating and reconstructing damaged homes, schools and health facilities, and helping farmers who lost crops, Mogwanja said.
Pakistan's junior finance minister, Hina Rabbani Khar, said the country had suffered enormously from being on the frontline of the US-led war on Al-Qaeda and a key US ally in the war against the Taliban in Afghanistan.
“No other country has suffered as much as Pakistan in the war against terror,” Khar said.
“In addition to innumerable sacrifices of our people and the armed forces there are estimated economic losses of around 34.5 billion dollars as a consequence of the direct and indirect impact of this war,” she said.
Khar said it was vital to rehabilitate the displaced as part of Pakistan's effort to win support away from Taliban and al-Qaeda-linked extremists, who have carved out strongholds in parts of the northwest.
“To win this war we have to win the hearts and minds of the people and we need to take urgent concrete steps for rehabilitation of internally displaced persons,” she said.
Pakistan's military is engaged in offensives against militants across much of the northwest, including tribal areas bordering Afghanistan.
The appeal focuses on funds needed to implement the Pakistan Humanitarian Response Plan (PHRP) 2010, which the United Nations, international and local aid groups have drawn up with the cash-strapped Pakistan government.
“The PHRP requires 537 million dollars for assistance over the next six months to cover the most immediate humanitarian needs,” UN humanitarian coordinator for Pakistan Martin Mogwanja said.
Last year, a total of 3.1 million people were displaced from their homes in North West Frontier Province (NWFP) and the semi-autonomous Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) along the Afghan border, the official said.
Nearly two million people have returned home, but more people are being uprooted in the districts Bajaur, Orakzai and Mohmand, which are part of Pakistan's tribal belt on the Afghan border, he added.
“Considering that the number of IDPs (Internally Displaced People) from Orakzai agency has risen nearly tenfold in the last two months, the emergency in Pakistan seems far from over,” the official told a news conference.
Money is needed for food distribution, rehabilitating and reconstructing damaged homes, schools and health facilities, and helping farmers who lost crops, Mogwanja said.
Pakistan's junior finance minister, Hina Rabbani Khar, said the country had suffered enormously from being on the frontline of the US-led war on Al-Qaeda and a key US ally in the war against the Taliban in Afghanistan.
“No other country has suffered as much as Pakistan in the war against terror,” Khar said.
“In addition to innumerable sacrifices of our people and the armed forces there are estimated economic losses of around 34.5 billion dollars as a consequence of the direct and indirect impact of this war,” she said.
Khar said it was vital to rehabilitate the displaced as part of Pakistan's effort to win support away from Taliban and al-Qaeda-linked extremists, who have carved out strongholds in parts of the northwest.
“To win this war we have to win the hearts and minds of the people and we need to take urgent concrete steps for rehabilitation of internally displaced persons,” she said.
Pakistan's military is engaged in offensives against militants across much of the northwest, including tribal areas bordering Afghanistan.
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