A sense of uncertainty still lingers among internally displaced people (IDPs) who have been living with host families since fleeing hostilities in the Swat valley.
They do not yet know when they can go home, if it will be safe for them to do so, and what damage has been sustained by their homes and livelihoods in their absence. Additionally, getting food and other basic necessities into the area remains a problem due to a partial curfew and security checkpoints in the area.
Roop Kumar, 43, who belongs to a religious minority Hindu community, has his doubts about taking his family back to Swat. Since early May, he and his family have been living with many others in the Sikh Holy Shrine of Gurdwara Punja Sahib southeast of Swat.
Curfew imposed
He is a bank employee in Mingora, the capital of Swat valley, and was recently asked by his employer to visit his branch office to assess the damage it received. He returned from Swat on 11 July after spending a day making that visit. “The shops are closed and the curfew is still imposed in the town. I was unable to get to my home in Mingora, and instead had to return straight from my branch office,” Kumar says.
Kumar also had difficulty in getting to Mingora town as there are many check points on the way. At the moment, he feels the situation is uncertain and the place is not fully secure He will watch how things unfold and, if they improve, may try again to return home.
The Sikh Holy Shrine of Punja Sahib is providing a safe place to stay for many minority families. Darshan Singh, 40, is a Sikh by faith and is from the tribal area of Kalaya in the Orakzai Agency southwest of Peshawar, along the Afghan border. He was forced to leave his native village after a series of threats made on his life and and that of his family by the militants.
Hopes and fears
He had a fabric shop in his native village, and he hopes to return home and start his business again, but he is unsure when it will be safe to do so. “I cannot say when we can return to our village, but I hope that things will be okay in four months’ time,” he explains. There are around 35 Sikh families from Orakzai Agency who have migrated along with Darshan’s family to Punja Sahib.
The displaced Sikh and Hindu families living in the shrine have formed a committee whose job is to support the 500 displaced families. The committee looks after the preparation of food where women and men from displaced families cook to fulfil the religious ritual of “Sewa,” or Noble Service. The committee also monitors relief distributions for these families in order to ensure effective support to those displaced by fighting.
Sant Singh, 55, is the vice president of the committee. The community is worried, he says, and is unsure when life will return to normal.
Becoming difficult
“Our community members are mostly traders and shopkeepers and it is becoming difficult for them to cope here as our businesses have been closed for more than three months now,” he says. “We want to return as soon as possible to resume our businesses and our daily lives.”
But, like others who have been displaced, he is unsure when to return and says that he will only do so once he is sure his native town Pir Baba of Buner is safe.
To help them endure the waiting and to support them as they begin their journey home, the Pakistan Red Crescent Society (PRCS) and the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) have provided these families with relief items like jerry cans, hygiene kits, mosquito nets, and more.
Appeal launched
The IFRC has launched an 8 million Swiss franc (7.5 million US dollars or 5.3 million euro) appeal to help the PRCS extend its assistance to 91,000 displaced people living with host families outside the areas of violence.
The PRCS, with the support of the IFRC, International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and other International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement partners, will be helping 400,000 displaced people - 50,000 living inside camps and 350,000 living outside camps with host families.
For more information on the IFRC appeal, click here: http://www.ifrc.org/docs/appeals/09/MDRPK003RevEA.pdf
For more information on the work of the ICRC in Pakistan, click here:
http://icrc.org/web/eng/siteeng0.nsf/html/pakistan-update-160709?opendocument.
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Darshan Singh has been staying at this shrine for nearly a month. He wishes that he may return to his home to start his business again as soon as possible. (Photo: Mubashir Fida / International Federation). (p-PAK0958)
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At Punja Sahib 500 minority families (Sikhs and Hindus) relief items recently. (Photo: Mubashir Fida / International Federation) (p-PAK0957)
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Sant Singh and his fellow displaced friends have formed a committee to look after the displaced families. (Photo: Mubashir Fida / International Federation) (p-PAK0956)
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