Pakistan: The displaced

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Pakistan is once more seeing many thousands of people move out from the tribal belt. The latest exodus has gone almost unnoticed in a country which has become accustomed to mass displacements on account of the ongoing conflict in the tribal areas. In a recent press release issued from Geneva, the UNHCR said that since January this year, 100,000 people had been displaced — almost all of them from Khyber Agency. The situation in Khyber is complex given that rival militias are locked in battle with each other as well as against the state. Most of the people fleeing the area because of conflict or because they have been asked to evacuate have headed to the Jalozai camp at Nowshera or to other such camps. As in the past, many have moved in with relatives in various areas. While the UN and other bodies continue to provide aid and assistance to these IDPs, their condition is far from good. Life in camps is never easy and these unfortunate people have been forced into it too often. It is time this disruption of lives ended. Some means need to be found to bring an end to the constant unrest we still see in the tribal belt so that the displaced can return home and resume lives that have been shattered time and time again.