Humanitarian crisis worsens in Swat

Two million people have been displaced in northwest Pakistan and fears are raised more could be fleeing after the president said the offensive against the Taliban would be expanded to include Waziristan.

The government has set up camps, but a vast majority of the displaced are staying with relatives or in private accommodation.

Asif Ali Zardari, the president, was scheduled to convene a high-level meeting of government and UN officials on Wednesday on relief and rehabilitation efforts.

Yousuf Raza Gilani, the prime minister, said Pakistan was fighting the Taliban on two fronts - militarily in the mountains and in trying to cope with the humanitarian crisis.

For her part, Hillary Clinton, the US secretary of state, pledged $110m in humanitarian aid on Tuesday to Pakistan as part of Washington's new strategy for helping Islamabad counter the Taliban.

Meat and supplies

The funds would be used to deliver tents, FM radios, meat, water lorries, generators and other supplies, Clinton said.

Some of the money would also be spent on buying Pakistani wheat to boost the local economy.


Al Jazeera's Kamal Hyder, reporting from Islamabad, said the amount was not near to enough of what Pakistan needs as fighting between government fighters and the Taliban appears to be spreading.

"People from Matta, who had endured weeks of curfews, are now escaping over the mountains. Families are being separated from each other and it's another humanitarian catastrophe unfolding there," Hyder said.

"If the government offensive will be extended, it will be become a very serious issue to contain."

Hyder said it is unclear how the aid money will be used.

Hyder further said: "In human terms, the catastrophe that is unfolding is unprecedented. The number of IDP is expected to grow larger.

"We have indications from South Waziristan, from the Mehsud area which is controlled by Baitullah Mehsud, supposed to be the commander of the overall Taliban, that he will continue his struggle.

"We do have indications that thousands of people are now leaving the Mehsud area.

"They are not being helped entirely by the government. The people of this country are going out of their way to give them some kind of shelter."

'Horrible speed'

Rashid Khalikov, director of the United Nations' humanitarian office in New York, has said that aid workers are struggling to reach many of those who fled as the number of displaced increased with "absolutely horrible speed."

The UN estimates that about 1.4 million people have been displaced since fighting in Pakistan's Northwest Frontier Province (NWFP) started at the end of April.

That estimate is in addition to about 550,000 people already displaced by fighting across the NWFP and in other Pakistani regions.

John Holmes, the UN humanitarian chief, has said only about 20 per cent of displaced civilians are inside about 24 refugee camps at the moment.

Pakistan's military has said up to 15,000 troops are fighting 4,000 well-armed Taliban in Swat.