Displaced Pakistanis

Displaced Pakistanis hit twice: fear grows, funding staggers

As the number of displaced civilians in Pakistan's North West Frontier Province continues to grow, World Vision is warning that the majority who fled their homes a staggering 85 percent are living in host communities where basic services like water, sanitation, health, and education were already limited.

    Less than two weeks into a military incursion that has caused massive displacement in north-western Pakistan?s Swat Valley, even more children and families are struggling to find safe shelter in camps. ? AP Photo/Baker A boy waits in line with his father to get food at a UNICEF-assisted camp in Swabi, northwestern Pakistan, where thousands have fled fighting between government forces and militants. Despite continued humanitarian efforts, the needs are overwhelming and the situation is becoming desperate. Aid workers estimate that more than half of the homeless are children. UNICEF?s work in camps Jalala, one of the largest of the new camps for the displaced, is already at full capacity with 11,000 residents and more families needing shelter outside the camp. UNICEF is supporting health workers? efforts to vaccinate children in Jalala camp against polio and measles, and has provided supplies to help set up schools for 1,600 children. Many of the families in the camp arrived with few or no possessions. The children are particularly affected by the violence they have fled. Child-protection teams are monitoring unaccompanied or orphaned children and providing them with psychosocial support. Health and education suffer Gullmina, a mother from Swat province who sat in the camp surrounded by her children, repeated a common refrain. ?We are helpless,? she said. ?It is very hot in the tents. Children?s health has been affected badly. Their education has also suffered. We desperately want to go back home.? Pakistani women, burdened by the scarcity of safe water and sanitation facilities, are particularly unprepared for the lack of privacy in these camps. Many have taken refuge with friends or relatives, accepting shelter in public camps as a last resort. The displaced in Jalala represent just a small fraction of the total displaced population in the region. Meanwhile, hundreds of thousands are still trapped in the conflict zone without access to medical care and other essential services.

Grameenphone's majority shareholder, Telenor ASA's subsidiaries in Denmark and Pakistan have made donations for the rehabilitation of Sidr victims in Bangladesh.

Employees of Sonofon in Denmark and Telenor Pakistan have made the donations for the rehabilitation of cyclone victims in Bangladesh. Telenor's wholly-owned subsidiary Sonofon, has donated BDT 1 million towards Grameenphone's fund for the rehabilitation of the Sidr victims. At the same time, Telenor Pakistan has donated another BDT 1 million to Grameenphone to support the rehabilitation work that the company is currently undertaking in the cyclone-affected districts.

"The contribution made by the employees of the two Telenor subsidiaries to the help the cyclone-affected people is an excellent gesture of caring and is very much appreciated," says Grameenphone CEO Anders Jensen.
Earlier, Grameenphone made a contribution of BDT 10 million to the Chief Adviser's Relief Fund. In addition, Telenor, the majority shareholder of Grameenphone, had donated another BDT 23 million and the GP employees contributed their one-day's salary towards the relief effort.

Grameenphone has also set up donation boxes in 50 Grameenphone Centers to collect donations from subscribers. The collection will continue till 20 December, 2007 and will later be donated to the Chief Advisor's Relief Fund.
The company has been actively involved in the emergency relief efforts for the recent cyclone affected people over the last few weeks. The first phase of the relief effort concluded in last week of November. During the first phase, total of 11,000 family packs were distributed and 7,000 patients were treated in 10 medical camps in different districts, namely, Madaripur, Patuakhali, Barguna, Pirojpur, Jhalokhati, Bagerhat, Gopalganj and Shariatpur.

In the second phase, which started in the first week of December and is still ongoing, a total of 7000 family packs are being distributed in the Khulna and Barisal regions. Keeping in mind that winter is approaching, a blanket and a saree/lungi have been also included in the family packs. Six medical camps have been set up in the 2nd phase. So far 3,000 patients have been treated and 6,000 more are expected to get medical service in the coming weeks.

Additionally, temporary shelters, made from Grameenphone's old billboard vinyl, were built and handed over to 400 families in Barguna district.