Apprehensions for IDP children

July 6th, 2009 by Hina Safdar ( 1,669 Views )

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Swat IDP Children

The U.N. Children’s Fund reports nearly half of the estimated two million people displaced by conflict in Pakistan’s Swat Valley are children and they are in urgent need of health and educational services, nutritional support, access to clean water and sanitation, as well as protection. These problems are made even more difficult by the scorching summer heat.

700,000 children will miss out on the coming school year going to start in September. Around 3,700 schools may not be available for classes because they are being used to house 150,000 internally displaced people.

About 10 percent or 200,000 of the displaced are sheltering in camps, which are providing for their essential needs. But, the vast majority or 1.8 million people are living in host communities. UNICEF has set up so-called child friendly spaces in the camps as a stopgap measure having recreational and school learning equipment to help children get back to some semblance of normality. But tens of thousands of children who are living with family and friends in host communities are missing the opportunity to get use to with schooling. It is hard to reach all of them in remote areas and get first hand knowledge of them.

UNICEF says children and families are living in cramped conditions with limited aid in these communities. The monsoon season will soon begin and children, many of whom are malnourished, are at great risk of contracting water borne and other diseases.

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This entry was posted on Monday, July 6th, 2009 and is filed under Current Affairs .

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3 Responses to “Apprehensions for IDP children”

1

A Khan
July 27th, 2009 07:40 GMT
I was just going through another post on the IDP topic on Chowrangi itself. IDPs did start to travel back to their homes? Wasn’t this the case?

And as far as education and health is concerned, a lot of organizations did set up a camp to provide them such benefits? Correct me if I am wrong, but I did read about Mobilink setting up a camp in which education and basic health units were there? Not sure but I guess Telenor and other companies also donated money for the cause?

Does this money and facility actually reached the deserving people?
2

Mohammad Yusha
August 14th, 2009 19:54 GMT
@Khan: I was concerned about the same thing. Does the money reach the deserving people, or does it go in the pockets of those responsible for collecting the money. A lot of them end up with a new car and/or house during calamities and natural disasters not only in Pakistan but also in India, Bangladesh, Sr Lanka etc.

@Hina: You raised a lot of awareness on IDPs. I don’t think an IDP himself/herself would have raised so much awareness!
3

Hina Safdar
August 15th, 2009 01:42 GMT
@A Khan
Yes IDPs are now almost settled in Swat. Not only Mobilink many other organisations worked for them and By the grace of God rehabilitation of IDPs is going on smoothly. Thanks to the efforts of all Volunteers and Organisations for the support.

@Yusha
Don’t mention. I felt it duty to do so.

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