1.3 million IDPs in Pakistan need more help

The ongoing military operations against Taliban militants in northwest Pakistan continue to displace thousands of civilians. According to UN figures, there are currently 1.3 million internally displaced persons or IDPs in Pakistan. This is in addition to some 1.7 million Afghan refugees still in the country and about 2 million people who were displaced last year, many of whom still need assistance.

The latest reminder of the risks involved in the relief operations came at the weekend when two suicide bombings at a center for IDPs killed more than 40 people.

Donor community less generous this year

Humanitarian organisations put the funding needs for relief work at about 540 million US dollars over the next six months. But in contrast to last summer, when large scale military operations started, donors have been slow to commit money this time, and only 170 million dollars have been promised so far.

Caitlin Brady heads the Pakistan Humanitarian Forum (PHF), an association of more than 30 NGOs operating in the country. "Our concern is, of course, that with only 20 per cent of the funding that we need, in fact many programs may close or never get off the ground", she says. "And we're talking about critical, life-saving programs, such as health, water, sanitation. We're very worried about the situation right now."

Brady concedes that not all the programs included in the aid groups' Pakistan Humanitarian Response Plan (PHRP) are absolutely essential. "Last year, for example, the plan was about 70 per cent funded. And while there were gaps, we felt that was a very good response. This year we would hope to achieve something like that, that would be really fantastic."

Army's role criticized

Meanwhile, the advocacy group Refugees International, in a recent report, has criticized the role of the Pakistani military in the relief effort. Many foreign donors give money to the army to perform civilian duties because they believe "it can get the job done", the report notes, but calls this approach "shortsighted". It also says the Pakistani military has "executed its offensive in destructive ways".

Khadim Hussain of the Aryana Institute, an Islamabad think tank specializing in the affairs of northwest Pakistan, explains, "I think protection of the civilians was at the bottom of the priorities as far as the counter-insurgency and counter-terrorism strategy is concerned."

Human Rights Watch and other rights groups have voiced their concerns about human rights violations committed by the army in the tribal areas and in Swat, even after the fighting was over.

"There have been reports of extrajudicial killings - the killings of those who had been arrested, or the demolition of the houses of the relatives of the militant commanders," Khadim Hussain says.

Refugees International has reminded the US government that, under the Leahy Amendment, no military aid can be given to a foreign security force committing serious rights violations - and Pakistan receives large amounts of security assistance.

Author: Thomas Baerthlein
Editor: Grahame Lucas