Homeless in homeland
Yasir Ali Khan
Pakistan is passing through a testing time after government launched
military operation against militants who were challenging writ of the
state; millions of people from Swat, Malakand Division and Buner were
forced to flee their homes. According to provincial Information
Minister, Mian Iftikhar Hussain, the number of internally displaced
persons (IDP) has crossed the three million mark, are in terrible
condition, both physically and mentally. The heartbreaking journey
started when inhabitants of militancy hit areas left their, native towns
while leaving their ripe crops of wheat un-harvested and their cattle
unchained. One can easily understand the miseries of IDPs when they left
their homes that, one person is reported to have sold his cow, worth
Rs60 thousands only for Rs1,500 just to make enough money to take his
family to a safer place.
Since the donor agencies, such as the UNHCR, only cater for proper
camps, and the government still needs to get its act together, this is
where all of you out there come in because those not in the camps are
totally dependent on the generosity of the ordinary public. The most
serious problem right now is the sweltering heat of the summer season.
IDPs, who left their lush green and hilly areas, are today facing
humidity of sizzling heat in the camps. When I visited Jalala Camp, I
could not stay inside the tents for more than half a minute – because of
the heat and the suffocation it was causing. Women and young children
are the hardest hit since because of ‘purdah’ the tent flaps remain
closed trapping the heat and preventing any fresh air from entering at
all. Children were red in the face and many of them were developing
rashes and other skin problems. Some were asleep with exhaustion, others
were crying and the helpless mothers had no way of comforting them.
Suffering from a number of contagious diseases such as Diarrhea, skin
allergy, eye-infection and Pneumonia, Internally Displaced Persons are
taking temporary shelter, still waiting for medical help from the
quarters concerned. Camps set up for IDPs are presenting a deplorable
picture where women are giving births to their child. The average size
camp that can hardly accommodate two persons is stuffed with 12 to 15
persons and depicts a clear picture of unhygienic living conditions of
the innocent people. The saddest episode of this calamity is that most
of the people, civil society organizations and government officials
involved in raising and distributing funds seem to forget the basic fact
that the IDPs are not beggars. They must know that these are poor but
very respectable people, who have left their houses for a cause to help
our government and the armed forces to fight against the militants.
Pakhtuns by nature are the people who even do not accept favours from
their own relatives. Giving them help in front of the cameras and by
showing their womenfolk on the channels is against their traditions and
values. What people need to do is to help them as equals as their own
brothers and sisters.
Visits of ministers and politicians to relief camps set up for the
internally displaced persons are creating disturbance rather than being
of any help. The visiting VIPs get all the attention as the government
machinery revolves around them instead of facilitating the IDPs who run
around to get help. Some VIPs visited the relief camps just to get
photographed while giving gifts. Government high-ups are need to focus
on facilitating the IDPs than just taking photographed with them.
Another serious concern is that majority of the children were orphans as
they had lost their parents during the operation in their areas and were
living with relatives in various parts of the country. The presence of
such a huge number of IDPs orphan children in the country without any
permanent arrangement for their food and shelter is an eye-opener for
NGOs and other charity organisations that trumpet humanity and claim to
be advocates of people’s rights. A child who wanders in the streets
throughout the day without knowing about school or without care. Such a
child would turn against society when he grows up and “God forbid” might
become a potential terrorist. One can see these children in the streets
of Rawalpindi begging for clothes and food and are adding to the already
prevailing menace of beggary.
The recent influx of IDPs in NWFP is truly a saddening fact. But at the
same time, an important question arises: how can we be sure that the
Taliban whose families might have been settled in Swat have not lost
their beards and turbans and accompanied their women and children out of
the valley? How do we know that the camps are not harbouring the very
extremists that we want eliminated? A plan must be set into action to
deal with the IDPs and also to plan ahead for their repatriation once
the security situation improves in the affected areas. The IDPs have
left behind every thing, their businesses, homes, means of livelihood,
livestock – everything. We need a proper long-term plan to deal with
this situation. I beg you not to think that way. Everyone and anyone can
make a difference if they decide to do so. These people, who are known
for their hospitality, should be our honourable guests and must be
provided with food and shelter. It is our moral responsibility to help
them. There is no time to waste because these people have no time. Let’s
reach out and hold the hands of the thousands of displaced children or
be responsible for nurturing another generation of the militants.
The writer is a journalist based in Islamabad.
|
