In April 2009 increased fighting in the North West Frontier Province of Pakistan caused a new wave of people to flee from their homes. Around 3 million people from Swat, Buner and Dir. have so far been displaced, most settling in the Districts of Mardan and Swabi.
People left their villages by whatever means possible, many travelling on foot for many hours or even days over harsh mountainous terrain.

Over 2.5 million people are living with local families or in public buildings such as schools. All urgently need emergency humanitarian assistance including shelter, food, clean water and medical care. As the number of displaced people continues to rise, the coping mechanisms of the host families are being put under increasing strain. Basic services such as clinics and sanitation facilities are close to collapse.

Most fled their homes with only the clothes on their backs. With no possessions, money or income , they are reliant on aid agencies and the generosity of local people to survive.
The UN is appealing for US$543m, but so far only US$119m has been contributed to the Pakistan Humanitarian Response Plan.

In response to the humanitarian crisis in North West Pakistan Islamic Relief launched an appeal for £5 million.

With the support of Islamic Relief Partners 14%per cent out of £5 million has so far been funded. Also locally in Pakistan Meezan Bank donated Rs. 5 million to support emergency response of Islamic Relief. However, more funds are urgently required in order to meet the growing needs of the displaced people.

We are focusing our work on meeting the needs of displaced people living in the local community, as well as on the needs of host families.

Emergency Aid
To date we have distributed emergency non-food items to around 18,900 individuals in Bazaar, Char Gulli and Rustam Union Councils. This aid included hygiene kits (including; towel, soap, comb, toothbrush and paste), household kits (including a 10 litre jerry can, candles and matches, mosquito net, plastic sheeting and washing soap) and kitchen sets (including a cooking pot, frying pan, spoons, knife, glasses, mugs and plates)

In partnership with Care International we also distributed
Hygiene Kits – 500,
Household Kits – 500,
Kitchen sets – 500,
Men’s shawl – 1,500,
Women’s shawl – 1,500,
Mosquito Nets – 1,000 and 310 tents

Past Experience in NWFP
Islamic Relief has previous experience of working with displaced people in North West Frontier Province as in September 2008 we established the Jellozai camp in Peshawar, working with more than 23,200 displaced people.

Our work here included the site development, the provision of shelters and the distribution of food and non-food items such as hygiene kits, jerry cans and water buckets. In partnership with the UNICEF we provided 80,000 litre of clean drinking water on daily basis through 220 water tanks installed across the camp, constructed 1,000 latrines, 500 bathing places and 220 washing points.

In collaboration with the WHO we established one health post with two male and two female doctors that provided essential medical care. In order to provide the health services to the host families of IDPs living in Nowshera a Mobile service unit was established which delivered services to through a rural health centre in Akbar Pura and basic health unit in Rashakai twice a week. We also screened children for malnutrition and provided supplementary food to those who needed it. And to improve the health conditions we ran health and hygiene sessions to minimise the spread of disease.

Addressing Multiple Needs
Up to 80 per cent of those who have been displaced in the recent fighting are children. They are very vulnerable and urgently require healthcare, nutritious food, education and psychosocial care. This is why we are centring our work around meeting the needs of children.

Islamic Relief is setting up seven Mercy Centres and a further 19 satellite centres in Char Gulli and Rustam Union Councils in Mardan District.

Our Mercy Centres are providing a comprehensive package of support and services to the displaced people and the host community.

The services on offer include primary healthcare and first aid, and water and sanitation facilities. The centres will also serve as distribution points for the delivery of non-food items.

Both the Mercy Centres and the satellite centres will be run as child-friendly spaces. Here children will be given food, education, psychosocial support and safe places to play. Through the centres we will also identify children who have been separated from their parents and help to reunite them.

Community Participation
Community participation is central to all of Islamic Relief’s work. In Mardan local committees have been formed that are made up of displaced people, representatives from the local community and Islamic Relief staff.

These committees allow the issues and needs of the displaced people and host communities to be discussed, and ensure that all solutions are sustainable and appropriate.

Healthcare
A lack of clean water, poor sanitation facilities and overcrowded living conditions, have made people vulnerable to waterborne and communicable diseases. Teams of male and female health professionals based at our centres and in government Basic Health Units are providing medical care to displaced people and the local community.

The services on offer include ante-natal and post-natal healthcare, out-patient services, vaccinations for children and mental health support. We will are also operating a 24-hour ambulance service for those people who need to be referred to hospital.

Two mobile health teams are also providing medical care at our Mercy Centres in Rustam and Char Gulli. We hope to reach 97,000 people including the IDPs and the host communities through this health programme.

Male and female health workers at Islamic Relief’s centres are providing life saving medical care to displaced people and host families.

In addition, Islamic Relief health and hygiene promoters will be carrying out awareness raising sessions and home visits, in order to improve health and hygiene practices and to reduce ill-health, especially amongst children.

Trauma Recovery
A large number of displaced children have been traumatised as a result of the conflict and the difficult conditions in which they are living. They require psychosocial support to prevent longer term mental health problems.

Trained psychologists will be based at Islamic Relief’s seven largest Mercy Centres. They have already begun assessing children and are providing appropriate psychological care. They will also be making visits to the 19 smaller satellite centres to assist the children there.

The psychologists will provide one-to-one counselling to children and adults. They will also use toys and games to help children overcome the trauma they have experienced.

Very few children have been able to continue their education since they left their homes as local schools have been turned into makeshift camps for displaced families. But education is important for children who have experienced trauma as it helps restore normality to their lives, which is why Islamic Relief is providing basic schooling at our centres. We will also provide all children attending the centres with a daily nutritious meal in order to prevent malnutrition.

Host Families Struggle
Wajid Ali lives in Chahar Gulli in Mardan District, he is a school teacher and earns around £2 a day. Although it is often a struggle to support his own family, when displaced families began turning up in his village he was determined to help.

Wajid said, “When we learnt about the conflict and the massive numbers of people who had fled their homes, I wanted to do all I could to assist them. So when I came across Zahir’s family who had fled their village in Buner I did not think for a single second and offered them my house.”

house giving Zahir’s family somewhere to stay. “My family is living under one roof with my parents so I am not worried about them. But if Zahir and his family were not living in my house they would have had nowhere to stay and would have suffered greatly.”

There are 28 people in Zahir’s family so living conditions in Wajid’s small home are difficult, however they know they are lucky to have a roof over their heads. Zahir said, “I am extremely grateful to Wajid who offered us his house without even knowing us.”

If he had not offered us shelter I don’t know where we would have ended up. I will be thankful to him for the rest of my life.”

A Troubled Life
70-year-old Lal Bibi left her village in Buner with her neighbours when it was attacked. Fearing for their lives they travelled to Dir District but then the conflict spread and they had to move again, this time to Mardan.

Lal Bibi is now living with an old friend, Gul Hamesha. She knows that she is putting an added burden on an already poor family but with no family of her own around her, she has no other choice.

“I came here with some neighbours after fleeing my village,” Lal Bibi said. “I have no family to look after me. Even before this crisis I struggled to survive. Then the conflict started and brought even more misery into my troubled life.”

“I am suffering from high blood pressure and the stress of trying to find somewhere safe to stay has badly affected my health,” Lal Bibi explained.

“Thankfully I was offered place by an old friend. Her two sons do not make very much money and taking me in to their home has added an extra burden to their already difficult life.”

Lal Bibi was one the displaced people to receive aid items from Islamic Relief that she would never have been able to afford at market.

“With the support that I have been given by Islamic Relief I am positive about the next few weeks and I know I am going to survive because there is someone out there to take care of me.”