No end to woes of IDPs in sight

ISLAMABAD - The Internally Displaced People (IDP) of Swat, Dir and Bajaur are in miserable conditions at the IDPs camp despite the claims of the government responsible for their rehabilitation. During a visit to this set up at Sector G 7/1, TheNation observed that the affectees were facing a number of problems like food and medicines shortage, contaminated water and lack of toilets. Mutahida Islahi Falahi Tanzeem (MIFT) has established the camp for the affected people of NWFP since November 2008. The organisation had provided them tents, blankets, medicines and medical treatment facilities. Chairman MIFT Khurshid Ali Khan said that some 60 families, including eight families from Bajaur and other 52 from Swat, have been living for the last one month in this camp. He said that Edhi Welfare, Medicine Science France had also helped the IDPs residing in this camp. He maintained that there was no food, medical treatment, and toilet and water facility in the camp. He alleged that some non-govt organizations were using the IDPs camps as a platform to earn money. They took data from the camp organizers and later they used it for taking money and different kind of goods from international donor agencies, but did not provide any kind of facility to these people, he added. Public peoples secretariat (PPP) incharge Shabir Babar, who helped MIFT to establish the camp said that Capital Development Authority (CDA)was creating hurdles in efforts to help them. He said that they had provided full details of the affected families to the CDA and intelligence agencies. He maintained that the despite the complete details of the affected persons at this camp, they still trying to stop govt and non-govt organization from helping them. Momin Khan, one of the effectees at the IDPs camp lamented over the situation and said that they were living 16 persons of two families in a single tent. They were helpless and no one was here to help them as their homes had been destroyed, he said. He maintained that govt was mere a spectator and doing nothing for them despite tall claims.

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