Islamic Relief starts Humanitarian Assistance for 4000 off-camp IDP families

In the wake of fleeing from the conflict-torn Khyber Agency, Islamic Relief Pakistan starts implementation of Humanitarian Assistance for Internally Displaced Persons at Jalozai, district Nowshera. The project aims to assist 4000 off-camp IDP families under health & hygiene promotion along with sanitation facilities.

According to an assessment, Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) are fleeing into Peshawar and surrounding areas. A large number of IDPs take refuge at Jalozai camp and the remainder has opted to move in with relatives, for array of reasons linked to tradition, culture and perception of available services.

In the process of collecting preliminary data, it was found that a significant portion of IDPs living outside Jalozai camp are food insecure and vulnerable to health issues. Many of these IDPs also need to travel many kilometres to gain access to any healthcare while shortages of other vital items are also commonplace.

It is quite difficult and dangerous since many of the displaced families are vulnerable or female-headed households, with many children and elderly family members. The attention of both the government and humanitarian aid actors has largely shifted away from the issue of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs), Islamic Relief Pakistan.

To address the needs of these off-camp IDP families, Islamic Relief is carrying out management of common, endemic and epidemic prone diseases through primary health care services, providing medicine, referral of patients to secondary and tertiary care hospitals as per need, psychological counseling sessions for identified families, construction of pit latrines for patients, provision of hygiene kits, and awareness raising sessions on hygiene promotion.

While keeping in view the alarming situation of mother and child health, MCH services are also initiated. There is need to look into the mental condition of the off-camp IDP children, who have nowhere to go during the day, often roaming the streets in unfamiliar neighbourhoods.

Average daily report of BHU Jalozai run by Islamic Relief

Daily OPD	100-110 Consultations
Age/Gender Composition	52 per cent women 39 per cent Children 9 per cent men
Common Aliments	Respiratory Infections Diarrhea Scabies

Besides provision of Humanitarian Assistance for Internally Displaced Persons of Khyber Agency, Islamic Relief in collaboration with Fata Disaster Management Authority (FDMA) also started a rapid needs assessment of returnees of Mohmand Agency and is working on a plan for the recovery of basic facilities i.e. health, livelihood, water and sanitation in the Safi subdivision of Mohmand Agency.