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Pakistan: Displacement ongoing in a
number of regions
Source: IDMC
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Military operations against armed opposition groups in Pakistan have displaced hundreds of thousands of people in recent months,
according to the limited information available. While many of the internally displaced people (IDPs) have apparently been able to return to their areas of origin after an end to the fighting, others
remain displaced with little access to humanitarian assistance.
In the North West Frontier Province’s Swat Valley, conflict between an armed opposition group and the army led to Asia’s biggest new displacement in 2007, with between 400,000 and 900,000 people forced to flee their homes towards the end of the year. Many people returned as soon as possible, but some of them found their homes and property damaged.
In North Waziristan, conflict between armed opposition groups and the army resumed in October 2007 after the collapse of a ceasefire agreement. At least 80,000 people are believed to have fled their homes to avoid being caught in the bombing and crossfire. There was intense fighting between government forces and the armed opposition groups, where helicopter gunships, fighter planes and heavy artillery were reportedly used. There were also clashes between the army and opposition forces in South Waziristan in early 2008, with both sides using heavy weapons, and the conflict forced thousands of civilians to flee the area.
In Balochistan, tens of thousands of people remained displaced as government forces fought some Baloch tribes. The government continued to deny humanitarian agencies access to the displaced in the name of security and safety.
The Pakistani army is accused of preventing people displaced from near the Line of Control dividing Pakistan and India from returning to their homes. The IDPs had first been displaced due to shelling at the border in 1999 and a second time as a result of the 2005 earthquake. In many cases IDPs’ land has been occupied by the army.
There is no information available on the exact numbers of people displaced in Pakistan today, due to administrative restrictions on access to affected areas. However, conflicts have clearly displaced, and will continue to displace, civilians in urgent need of protection and humanitarian assistance. Therefore it is critical that donors and humanitarian agencies continue to press the government for access to displaced populations in the country.
Read full Report on Internal Displacement in Pakistan
In the North West Frontier Province’s Swat Valley, conflict between an armed opposition group and the army led to Asia’s biggest new displacement in 2007, with between 400,000 and 900,000 people forced to flee their homes towards the end of the year. Many people returned as soon as possible, but some of them found their homes and property damaged.
In North Waziristan, conflict between armed opposition groups and the army resumed in October 2007 after the collapse of a ceasefire agreement. At least 80,000 people are believed to have fled their homes to avoid being caught in the bombing and crossfire. There was intense fighting between government forces and the armed opposition groups, where helicopter gunships, fighter planes and heavy artillery were reportedly used. There were also clashes between the army and opposition forces in South Waziristan in early 2008, with both sides using heavy weapons, and the conflict forced thousands of civilians to flee the area.
In Balochistan, tens of thousands of people remained displaced as government forces fought some Baloch tribes. The government continued to deny humanitarian agencies access to the displaced in the name of security and safety.
The Pakistani army is accused of preventing people displaced from near the Line of Control dividing Pakistan and India from returning to their homes. The IDPs had first been displaced due to shelling at the border in 1999 and a second time as a result of the 2005 earthquake. In many cases IDPs’ land has been occupied by the army.
There is no information available on the exact numbers of people displaced in Pakistan today, due to administrative restrictions on access to affected areas. However, conflicts have clearly displaced, and will continue to displace, civilians in urgent need of protection and humanitarian assistance. Therefore it is critical that donors and humanitarian agencies continue to press the government for access to displaced populations in the country.
Read full Report on Internal Displacement in Pakistan
