UN Humanitarian Team visits displaced people in Khyber Paktunkhwa

(Islamabad, 31 January 2015): A team from the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) met with a cross section of displaced people from South and North Waziristan to gain firsthand knowledge of their needs and living conditions.

A three-day visit led by Mr. George Khoury, Country Director, OCHA Pakistan, visited Dera Ismail Khan where displaced people have been living, some for more than seven years. The team also visited Bannu, Baka Khel camp and a few ‘tented village’ locations where displaced people from North Waziristan have settled. They interacted with the tribal elders, civil and military authorities and humanitarian partners to discuss the needs of the displaced population.

More than 91,000 families were displaced in North Waziristan in 2014 following military operations against armed militants. They remain in need of humanitarian assistance and livelihood support.

Since 2008, almost 5 million people from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) have been registered as displaced, owing to a series of security operations against militants. At the end of 2014, 1.6 million people remain displaced in KP and FATA.

The humanitarian partners, including the UN agencies and NGOs, are supporting the Government in the provision of life-saving assistance for the displaced population. The humanitarian partners are also preparing to support the voluntary return of the displaced people in the areas of their return.

"The humanitarian needs of the displaced people are immense and we will continue to advocate for them", said George Khoury.

For further information, please contact:
Murtaza Shibli, Public Information Officer, shibli@un.org, Tel. +92-51-835-4893, Cell +92-346-856-3642 Humaira Mehboob, Public Information Officer, mehboob@un.org, Tel.+92-51-835-4841, Cell +92-346-856-3656 OCHA press releases are available at www.unocha.org or www.reliefweb.int.