One year after Pakistan witnessed its worst internal displacement crisis since its creation in 1947, the government and humanitarian agencies are still struggling to respond to the needs of over 3 million people affected by an on-going military offensive against Taliban insurgents.
The United Nations, together with scores of aid groups, is assisting over 1.3 million people who have fled their homes as the Pakistani army moves to root out al Qaeda-linked militants from their strongholds along the Afghan border.
A further two million people in the northwest, who were forced to seek refuge with host communities and in displacement camps last year, also need help as they return to find their homes, schools and hospitals destroyed by fighting.
Nita Bhalla in New Delhi spoke to experts about their thoughts on the humanitarian challenges as the crisis moves into its second year.
Mike Young, Regional Director, Asia & Caucasus, International Rescue Committee
"I don't think we will see a reduction in the number of internally displaced people this year. Any returns will be offset by new displacement and secondary displacement as the military operations continue.
Therefore, humanitarian needs will remain very high - but funding is drying up. Many life-saving projects - in areas like health care, water and sanitation, and shelter - face closure in the next couple of months unless donors step up their support for humanitarian action in Pakistan. This is potentially very serious, as internally displaced people will face a huge gap in critical services at a time of serious instability.
The second challenge is the continued degradation of humanitarian space. Relief NGOs - both Pakistani and international - must navigate an increasingly complex and dangerous environment. Access has opened up and the government is being constructive in terms of approving access to vulnerable populations in most cases. However, there remain problems in terms of getting humanitarian aid to populations trapped in the more active conflict zones like South Waziristan or Orakzai."
Kilian Kleinschmidt, Deputy to Jean-Maurice Ripert, U.N. Secretary-General's Special Envoy for Assistance to Pakistan
"I think secondary short-term displacements will remain a problem. Militants appear to be getting acquainted with the army's modus operandi and learning to re-adjust to areas which they no longer control, but where they can disturb and annoy. So you will have villages in many cleared areas which will face insecurity and difficulties due to militant activities and subsequent search operations, and then people will move out to neighbouring villages to return once the problem is over.
Funding also remains an issue - but it's not just to keep people alive, but it's the whole question of what the medium and long-term strategy for sustainable peace-building and restoration of communities is. We need to provide more prospects and opportunities to these very fragile communities, but this is difficult due to a very limited humanitarian space and as a result of insufficient funding.
The vision is short-term and is linked to the military's 'clear, hold and build' strategy. But you need people in order to do the 'hold' part - teachers, health workers, engineers, administrators and so on. But no one wants to go to these areas as they are at risk of being kidnapped, abducted or shot."
Samina Ahmed, Project Director, South Asia, International Crisis Group
"Pakistan's humanitarian crisis threatens to intensify with ongoing military operations in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) resulting in new waves of displaced people, adding to more than 1.25 million from the conflict-hit zones of northwestern Pakistan.
The militants too have made a bloody comeback not just in FATA but also in Khyber Pakhtunkwa's (formerly known as North West Frontier Province) Malakand division, belying the Pakistan military's claims that the state's writ has been asserted over that region. The failure to eliminate the command and control structures of a myriad of extremist groups, growing militant violence, as well as the military's use of indiscriminate force and extra-judicial killings by security agencies and proxy militias, will likely provoke an even more serious humanitarian crisis in the coming months, sorely stretching the state's resources and capacity.
Relying on donors to fill the gaps might not work; barely 20 per cent of the $537 million U.N. humanitarian appeal for Pakistan IDPs (internally displaced) has been met. With millions of returnees in Malakand lacking adequate access to relief, let alone early reconstruction, and militant attacks hampering the operations of local and international NGOs, violent extremists could easily exploit rising local alienation."
Elisabeth Rasmusson, Secretary-General, Norwegian Refugee Council
"The humanitarian situation in parts of Pakistan remains of grave concern as the crisis moves into its second year. There are extensive needs for humanitarian and recovery assistance amongst those still displaced and those who have returned.
Humanitarian access is a key concern as the security situation for humanitarian workers is worsening. NGOs like NRC face challenges to our staff's security when trying to reach civilians in need of assistance. The worsening security situation, which includes violent attacks against aid workers in Pakistan, threatens to undermine humanitarian assistance to vulnerable populations and to destabilise the situation in the country.
The Government of Pakistan should ensure that people displaced by military offensives have access to humanitarian assistance and protection. Displaced people very often remain in a volatile situation with threats to their personal safety and security. Space must be given to humanitarian agencies to deliver assistance to ensure that there is access to food, clean water, health and other basic services."
Sidney Traynham, Coordinator for Policy and Advocacy Programs, Church World Service - Pakistan/Afghanistan
"Pakistan is presently one of the worst-funded humanitarian emergencies in the world. We are currently not very hopeful that dramatic additional funds are going to come anytime soon.
So we have to be very pragmatic and use the available funds in the best ways possible to save lives and help communities recover. In addition, we are advocating with donor governments for additional support on behalf of those most in need, but not getting a lot of traction. One of the challenges is that international donors are generally funding more and more 'pooled' or multilateral funding mechanisms. This means that there are shrinking opportunities for us and other civil society actors to access funding, despite our significant humanitarian capacity and long history of experience in many of these communities."
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