ISLAMABAD - In response to appeal of Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani, the world donors on Thursday promised $224 million in aid for more than 1.5 million people displaced by an offensive against Taliban after the government warned that the militants could exploit a failure to help. The Prime Minister while addressing Donors Conference had appealed to them and the international community for support, as Pakistan needed more resources to help the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs). Taking care of IDPs is the governments foremost responsibility. There is also an urgent need for a comprehensive response towards fighting the issue of terrorism, the Prime Minister told the Donors Conference. Interior Minister Rehman Malik, State Minister for Economic Affairs Hina Rabbani Khar, Prime Ministers Advisor on Economic Affairs Shaukat Tarin and representatives of G-8 countries, International Financial Institutions (IFIs) and international donor agencies attended the conference. He asked the donors to help the government of Pakistan in dealing with the rehabilitation of the IDPs effectively. The Prime Minister said that the government was cognizant of the problems being faced by the IDPs and was taking steps for their rehabilitation on war footing. He said that Pakistan, currently confronted with terrorism and extremism, was committed to eradicating to the menace completely for ensuring the countrys development. He said that the whole nation was supporting the governments steps being taken against terrorism and mentioned that the recent All Parties Conference also concluded with a note to back the governments efforts for ensuring peace. Gilani said that the uplift of the IDPs would not only enable them to make a positive contribution to the development, but also help in ensuring that the militants did not exploit the vulnerability of the displaced population. He termed peace and development as inter-dependable, adding that without peace, a sustainable development could not be guaranteed. We have to win the hearts and minds of the people. We need to do something concrete and visible on priority basis for the people of area, he said. The Prime Minister said a special fund for the relief of terror victims had been set up, while the government had already allocated over Rs 2 billion to the NWFP government for support in the management of IDPs. He said that relief work would be carried out by various agencies and each displaced family from Malakand division would get a grant of Rs 25,000. The Prime Minister said that the government had adopted a 3-Rs - relief, rehabilitation and reconstruction - approach to mitigate the sufferings of the IDPs and mentioned setting-up of a Special Support Group in this regard. He said that the United Nations was looking after the relief phase, whereas for rehabilitation stage, the World Bank was preparing to undertake a post-conflict assessment study, whose results would be shared with the donors. He said that State Minister for Economic Affairs Hina Rabbani Khar would be the focal person in dealing with the donors while Information Minister Qamar Zaman Kaira would brief the media on the activities of the Special Support Group. He said the government looks forwards towards the donors for a positive social and economic contribution to mitigate the sufferings of the IDPs. Reuters/AFP add: Earlier, the United Nations had warned of a long-term humanitarian crisis and called for massive aid for the persons displaced by military action against terrorists in the northwest. As the conflict ploughs on with no end in sight, concerns are mounting about how to cope with the displaced, uprooted in what rights groups have called Pakistans biggest movement of people since partition from India in 1947. Later, Minister of State for Finance Hina Rabbani Khar told reporters that the world donors had promised $224 million, including $110 million to be given by the United States. That sum would go towards a flash appeal that the United Nations will launch on Friday (today) in a bid to raise up to $600 million, she said. Hina Rabbani Khar noted the latest call for aid comes amid the global financial crisis and a degree of donor fatigue just weeks after donors promised Pakistan more than $5 billion. By and large, we are very satisfied with the donors response, the minister said. She said representatives of around 40 countries and donor agencies attended talks in Islamabad, which she called successful. We informed them of our three-pronged strategy, which includes immediate relief, safe return and rehabilitation of the displaced people and then reconstruction of the destroyed areas, said Khar. She also said that the meeting of international donors, chaired by Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani, expressed full support to the government in its efforts to fight militancy. The Minister said the amount pledged would be utilised for relief and reconstruction activities through the UN and International Committee of Red Cross. Pakistan has asked finance ministry to release eight billion rupees to assist the IDPs and Hinna Khar said Muslim countries were also expected to step forward with aid pledges. A one-time grant of Rs 25,000 will be paid to every displaced family, the state finance minister said. Pakistan already allocated two billion rupees to the North West Frontier Province government for relief efforts, but critics warn that is a fraction of the money needed for reconstruction and law enforcement. The UN World Food Programme warned on Wednesday that there was only enough money to feed hungry refugees until mid-July. A senior US military official based in Islamabad said the crisis could last until December because authorities expect large numbers of displaced people to remain at temporary camps to the end of the year.