At one of the makeshifts tents the weather worn faces of the displaced Pakistanis or the IDP’s told a wordless story demanding compassion. The situation at the camps is a grim reminder of the bureaucratic ignorance and mismanagement of the resources which in turn is giving way to hunger, disease and death. As the Pak army final offensive, code named ‘Rah-e-Rast’ or the ‘the way of the righteous’ against the miscreants in the Sarhad province intensifies more families are forced to migrate leaving behind there property, farms and business at the will of God.
Sector G7/1 is one of such sights, where right beside the Nullah are a handful of donated tents meant for a family of four and actually cramming in three to four families at once because of the lack of camping space and resources. According to an estimate more then two dozen families which almost add to 500 people have taken shelter in the camps. At this camp the IDPs registration process started with the aim to enlist the displaced and to issue ration cards to each family.
Children, women and the elderly are the ones most susceptible. Gul Rehman, a resident of Kalam, Swat is the bread winner of a family of 11. He said, “No doctors are appointed at the camp to do the routine check furthermore there are no lady doctors to check on the women residing in the camps.” The acute shortage of clean drinking water, the non presence of doctors & dispensaries and the confinement in camps are factors that would serve as catalyst in case of an outbreak.
The soaring temperature in the day and the bad mosquito problem at night is causing major discomfort. In addition the current stretch of uneven land occupied by the IDPs is badly littered thus adding to the misery of the people. If the CDA wants it can relocate the IDPs to a cleaner stretch of land a few foot steps away from the current location.
Author: Jamal Ahmad
Research Assistant & Editor: Mohsin Abbasi
