June 23, 2009

MARDAN, Northwest Frontier Province, Pakistan -- Zeshan is barely four days old and may have already lost a home.

"When the bombs started everyone started running," Zeshan's uncle, Shahussain said. "We knew then it was time to leave."

Shahussain and seven relatives joined a throng of men, women and children fleeing fighting in Pakistan's Northwest Frontier Provinces. Artillery, helicopter gunship fire, bombs and small-arms combat between Taliban militants and Pakistan's Army has forced as many as 3 million from their homes.

The baby, asleep in his great grandmother's arms, ruddy and sweating in the 100-degree heat, has no clothes. His family swaddles him with a pink towel and a sheet, taking turns rocking him and swatting flies from his face.

While Zeshan is a welcome addition, the family's crowded accommodations make life tense. CWS Pakistan/Afghanistan and CWS partners and fellow Action by Churches Together-International members provided this and dozens of other tents in this camp of 9,000 people.

The 10-ft x 10-ft yellow-and-blue structure provides shade from the day's blistering sun, while a generator-powered fan affords some comfort. CWS and other ACT members also provided families with food kits, so they might cook meals.

Fear is palpable here as everyone finds some way to cope with the violence. Some children no longer speak. Women hurriedly don colorful head coverings for fear of being photographed.

The camp provides at least a modicum of security for the families. Pakistan's army is visible, providing electricity and other services, including security by a Jeep-mounted machine gun that races around the perimeter.

Yet Shahussain's family and others aren't used to living this way. Many here are middle-class homeowners -- professionals who once enjoyed employment thanks to a thriving tourist industry in the lush mountains, lakes and streams of Swat.

Shahussain and others mention hope Swat will eventually return to what it was. Indeed, many adult male family members remained behind to watch after their homes and livelihoods despite intensifying fighting. Luckily for Zeshan, his father a computer engineer made the journey with his then-pregnant wife. Zeshan was born in a hospital near the Mardan camp.

Families have become split up in the chaos. Children have become separated from parents. Women, heading south without their husbands and fathers in this male-dominated society, find it increasingly hard to secure food and shelter.

Ahmadia is a widow and mother to five children driven away at the sounds of war. She fled despite worries she may find it difficult to find help as a female head of household. CWS is working with local agencies in Mardan to identify women heads of household like Ahmadia and ensure they receive appropriate care.

"When the bombs started we were very close by but the helicopters scared us away," Ahmadia said. "When the fighting got bad we moved to a relative's house but it was too crowded, and they couldn't afford to support us. So we came here."

New arrivals still shuffle through the heat and dust to register for assistance. The latest figures indicate 1.7 million have registered across Pakistan's Northwest Frontier Provinces but the number displaced is believed to be much higher, as many seek shelter with family.

For those without family to support them, the camps are the only other option. Dozens of them have sprouted across Pakistan's plain, prompting response from international relief organizations. CWS P/A is the lead agency in the crisis that ensures all international humanitarian standards are met.

For families like Shahussain's, the standards are nice but nothing compared to the home he left and may never see again.

"We want to go home as soon as possible," Shahussain said. "Right now we have nine people living in this tent."

How to help Church World Service is helping to provide food, shelter and medical care for displaced children and families in Pakistan. Contributions to support Church World Service emergency response and recovery efforts may be made online, by phone (800.297.1516), or sent to Church World Service, P.O. Box 968, Elkhart, IN 46515.

Media Contact: Lesley Crosson, 212-870-2676 lcrosson@churchworldservice.org