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USAID Assistance to Internally-Displaced Persons (IDPs) in Pakistan

August 11, 2009

Fact Sheet #25, Fiscal Year (FY) 2009 (PDF, 58kb)

KEY DEVELOPMENTS

• On August 6, the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reported that conflict continues to displace individuals in northeastern areas of Buner District, North-West Frontier Province (NWFP). According to OCHA, the Buner District Coordination Officer reported that approximately 7,000 newly displaced families fled to the Government of Pakistan (GoP)-managed Swari internally displaced persons camp near Daggar, the capital of Buner District, and an additional 28,000 others are residing with host families in the district.
• GoP military operations in Upper Dir District, NWFP, continue to displace individuals to Lower Dir District. As a result, NWFP government officials have requested that the Office of the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) establish three additional internally displaced persons camps in Lower Dir District to accommodate the newly displaced individuals.
• In FY 2008 and to date in FY 2009, the U.S. Government (USG) has provided nearly $246 million to conflict-affected populations in Pakistan, including nearly $82 million in USAID/OFDA funding. At present, USAID/OFDA supports internally displaced persons and host communities through health, nutrition, humanitarian coordination and information management, economy and market systems, risk reduction, shelter and settlements, and water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) activities, as well as the provision of relief supplies and logistical support.

CURRENT SITUATION

• According to GoP officials, conflict in South Waziristan Agency, Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA), has displaced approximately 81,000 people. GoP officials report that approximately 55,000 displaced individuals from South Waziristan currently reside in Dera Ismail (D.I.) Khan District, NWFP, and an estimated 26,000 others reside in Tank District, NWFP. According to OCHA, local government authorities began registering displaced individuals residing in D.I. Khan and Tank districts on August 3.

  Returns and Early Recovery

• As of August 10, the GoP SSG for internally displaced persons reported that approximately 1.3 million individuals, or 57 percent of the NADRA-verified displaced population, had returned to areas of origin. Of the total returnees, approximately 120,000 families, or more than 841,000 individuals, returned to areas of origin between July 13 and August 10. In addition, an estimated 66,200 families, or nearly 464,000 individuals, spontaneously returned to areas of origin prior to commencement of the GoP-facilitated returns process on July 13.
• The GoP continues to close internally displaced persons camps as a result of large-scale population returns to areas of origin. As of August 10, the GoP had closed 13 camps in NWFP.
• According to GoP officials, approximately 145,100 individuals continued to reside in internally displaced persons camps as of August 10, representing a 34 percent decrease in registered camp residents since early July. In addition, the GoP reported that 1 million displaced individuals continued to reside with host communities.
• On August 5, OCHA reported that the GoP designated Jalala camp in Mardan District and Jalozai camp in Nowsherra District as transitional camps for individuals unable to return to areas of origin. As a result, the NWFP Provincial Relief Commissionerate�s Emergency Response Unit reported that approximately 2,500 individuals had relocated to Jalozai camp as of August 5.
• According to OCHA, the GoP has commenced returns to Bajaur Agency, FATA, and reported potential plans to establish a transitional camp in Bajaur Agency for approximately 7,000 families�representing 49,000 individuals� that currently reside in NWFP but are unable to return to areas of origin in Bajaur.
• GoP NADRA officials continue to distribute electronic payment cards used to access the 25,000 Pakistani rupees returns package, valued at approximately $310. As of August 10, the GoP SSG reported that NADRA officials had distributed more than 249,000 electronic payment cards, of which families had activated more than 242,600 cards and withdrawn approximately 5.7 billion rupees, valued at $69.5 million.
• On August 5, OCHA reported that displaced individuals had vacated approximately 2,140 of the nearly 4,750 occupied school buildings in NWFP. According to the U.N. Children�s Fund (UNICEF), GoP officials expect the remaining displaced individuals to vacate school facilities by August 20.
• OCHA noted that as of August 5, UNICEF had begun the rehabilitation of 100 vacated schools in NWFP.

  Emergency Food and Relief Supplies

• Following an August 3 assessment in Swat District, NWFP, the U.N. World Food Program (WFP) reported plans to open four additional humanitarian hubs in the district to serve returning populations. WFP noted that the number of planned hubs for Swat may increase pending improved access to northern areas of the district.
• According to the U.N. Logistics Cluster, WFP currently operates 35 distribution hubs to serve individuals residing with host communities and six camp-based distribution hubs throughout NWFP, including one in Mardan District, three in Nowshera District, and two in Peshawar District.
• The U.N. Logistics Cluster reported that the satellite logistics base in Bhakkar, Punjab Province, currently maintains a 2,800 metric tons (MT) storage capacity. The U.N. Logistics Cluster established the hub to temporarily store relief items for distribution to populations displaced from South Waziristan Agency, FATA, to D.I. Khan and Tank districts, NWFP. As of August 5, UNICEF, WFP, and UNHCR had pre-positioned humanitarian relief supplies at the base.
• On August 10, WFP began distributing food to displaced individuals residing in D.I. Khan District, benefiting approximately 250 families. Due to the larger family sizes in Waziristan, WFP distributed a double ration, which included 160 kg of wheat and 60 kg of pulses, in addition to oil, sugar, tea, salt, and high-energy biscuits.

  Health and Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene

• According to OCHA, U.N. WASH Cluster members plan to dismantle WASH facilities in recently closed camps and relocate the facilities to schools recently vacated by displaced individuals; new camps in Lower Dir District, NWFP; and the GoP-designated transitional camps and Mardan and Nowsherra districts, NWFP.
• According to OCHA, U.N. Health Cluster members established a health facility on July 24 to serve newly displaced individuals in Swari camp located in Buner District, NWFP. Between July 24 and August 5, the medical facility treated 960 patients.
• On August 5, a USAID/OFDA implementing partner commenced distribution of 16,000 liters of safe drinking water per day to approximately 3,200 conflict-affected individuals in Swat District, NWFP.
• On August 9, the U.N. World Health Organization (WHO) reported that U.N. Health Cluster members currently support more than 400 health facilities throughout conflict-affected areas, including 32 hospitals, 22 rural health centers, and 214 basic health units. In addition, cluster members support 55 mobile health units to serve displaced individuals residing with host communities throughout NWFP.
• Between July 25 and 31, WHO reported that 199 monitoring sites from the USAID/OFDA-supported Disease Early Warning System (DEWS) logged more than 66,300 consultations in the five districts of NWFP hosting displaced persons camps. According to WHO, acute respiratory infections accounted for 19 percent of the consultations, while eight percent of the patients reported acute diarrhea.

USAID AND STATE HUMANITARIAN ASSISTANCE TO CONFLICT-AFFECTED POPULATIONS

• On October 20, 2008, U.S. Ambassador Anne W. Patterson redeclared a disaster due to continued humanitarian needs resulting from civil conflict and displacement in Pakistan and requested USAID/OFDA assistance.
• On May 15, USAID deployed a Disaster Assistance Response Team (DART) to Pakistan to support GoP relief efforts, manage the humanitarian response, and coordinate with the humanitarian community. On May 18, USAID activated a Washington, D.C.-based Response Management Team (RMT) to support the DART. USAID demobilized the RMT and the DART on July 10 and 12, respectively. USAID/OFDA maintains a five-person field office in Pakistan to continue monitoring the situation and respond to evolving humanitarian needs.
• In FY 2008 and to date in FY 2009, USAID/OFDA has provided nearly $82 million in humanitarian assistance to conflict-affected populations in Pakistan.
• To date in FY 2009, USAID/FFP has provided 62,730 MT of P.L. 480 Title II emergency food assistance, valued at approximately $58 million, to WFP emergency operations.
• To date in FY 2009, USDA has provided $32.8 million in assistance to conflict-affected populations, including 50,000 MT of Food for Progress assistance, valued at $19.5 million, through the GoP Ministry of Agriculture and $13.3 million to WFP for associated costs.
• To date in FY 2009, USAID/Pakistan has provided more than $8.9 million in assistance to conflict-affected populations, including support for the provision of relief commodities, as well as livelihoods, infrastructure rehabilitation, education, health, agriculture, shelter, economy and market systems, and WASH activities.
• In FY 2009, State/PRM has provided $59.6 million to UNHCR and ICRC for the provision of relief commodities, as well as health, protection, humanitarian coordination, shelter, and WASH activities.
• To date in FY 2009, DoD has provided approximately $3 million in humanitarian assistance to Pakistan, including the provision of water trailers, halal meals, air-conditioned tents, and generators.

For detailed information on U.S. Government humanitarian assistance to Pakistan, click here

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