The government of Denmark has provided an assistance of $1.6 million for internally displaced persons (IDPs) of North Waziristan and Khyber Agency.
The contribution, which has a special focus on women and children, will be implemented through UNHCR’s operations in the area. Ambassador of Denmark in Pakistan, Jesper Moller Sorensen, on Saturday announced the grant. He said that the situation of displaced people was very complex, as Pakistan faced serious challenges due to the frequency of conflicts and emergencies in the country.
“IDPs are in a very serious and extremely vulnerable position. Women and children account for the majority of those newly displaced. Today, almost one million women and children are without social protection. Our contribution serves to ensure that displaced people, especially women, children and others with special needs, have equal access to all services offered by the Government and humanitarian actors”, said Ambassador Sorensen.
Nearly 993,166 individuals (90,836 families) with 74 per cent being women and children were displaced as a result of military operation in NWA. An additional displacement of 98,700 families (638,699 individuals) took place after military operations started in the adjacent areas of Khyber Agency. Women and children constitute 81 percent of the total enlisted caseload from Khyber Agency to date.
The Danish contribution will go to ensure that the families have an adequate coverage of tents, non-food item family kits, which include emergency shelter materials, and core relief items for protection against the cold winter. Additionally, support is also being provided in collective centres, where families are being hosted at schools, other public buildings, temporary settlements and community and religious centres. The UNHCR is also establishing new camps and providing technical support on camp management and coordination.
Denmark has been providing humanitarian support to Pakistan since 2005 with increased support during the earthquake and floods. Between 2010 and 2013, Denmark contributed a total of USD 51.5 million in humanitarian aid to Pakistan. In addition, Denmark is currently implementing a USD 50 million development assistance program in Pakistan (2013-2016).
