HRCP asks government to assist people displaced by unrest in Tribal Areas, Karachi
LAHORE: The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) demanded the government to take urgent steps to assist the citizens who were forced to leave their homes because of military operations against terrorists in the Tribal Areas and violence in Karachi.
In a statement issued on Tuesday, the HRCP said that it is concerned over the fresh waves of internal displacement reported from Kurram Agency in FATA and in Karachi. It stated that according to official figures, at least 6,000 families or around 40,000 people have left their houses amid a military operation launched against the terrorists in Kurram last week while the number is expected to rise in the coming days. Most of these families have found shelter with host communities and in government buildings, rather than in formal camps. Lack of food and other items for the displaced population have already been reported by the media, which also highlighted the difficulties faced by displaced families from Khyber Agency with regards to registration, which makes them eligible to receive rations.
The statement further added that many people have sold their properties in areas where they considered themselves unsafe because of extensive violence. Others have felt so unsafe that they have left even without waiting to sell their houses. Furthermore, even as problems of the population affected by last year’s floods persist, there are apprehensions that floods may aggravate their plight this year as well. In view of internal displacement in the country, the HRCP urged the government to take urgent measures to cater to the needs of the people, and emphasised that the focus must remain on efforts to prevent displacement from occurring in the first place.
Source: Daily Times
Date:7/13/2011
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